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  1. AARP Community Challenge
 

AARP Community Challenge Grantees List by State: Idaho-Montana

More than 1,000 projects have been funded since our quick-action grant program began in 2017

AARP Livable Communities

Here's our complete state-by-state list of the AARP Community Challenge grants that have been awarded since our quick-action grant program began in 2017.

Visit the AARP Community Challenge Main Page

2017 Grantees

2018 Grantees

2019 Grantees

2020 Grantees

2021 Grantees

2022 Grantees

2023 Grantees

  • Ada County: Ada County Highway District Commuteride
    Challenge funds will help a workplace mobility pilot program assist small businesses in making facility or mobility enhancements that increase transportation options for employees. State Video (2021)
  • Boise/Kuna: Idaho Smart Growth 
    On October 21, 2017, the Bernie Fisher Parking Lot in downtown Kuna was transformed into a pop-up plaza project that demonstrated the benefits of public gathering places. [WWL] Video State Video (2017)
  • Boise: Idaho Walk Bike Alliance
    To support neighborhood efforts to calm traffic, this project will provide training and free loaner materials for residents to conduct pop up demonstrations in their communities. (2019)
  • Boise: Wassmuth Center for Human Rights
    A loudspeaker system for concerts and events will be installed at the outdoors Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial. (2022)
  • Boise: Adapted Builds
    This project will develop video content that addresses the needs of caregivers and people with disabilities to foster inclusion, improved quality of life and greater self-reliance. (2023)
  • Caldwell: Destination Caldwell
    The grant will be used to improve downtown Caldwell by installing oversized games (like Jenga, cornhole and chess), mosaic tables and benches in a local plaza. (2018)
  • Cascade: City of Cascade
    This project includes paving a half-mile walking trail, creating year-round opportunities for outdoor exercise and nature viewing. State Video (2020)
  • Driggs: City of Driggs
    The project will install one concrete outdoor foosball table and one concrete outdoor chess/game table and stools in a new public plaza space in the downtown area. State Video (2019)
  • Emmett: Emmett Public Library
    A digital locker system will be installed outside the library so patrons can pick up and drop off materials when the building is closed. State Video (2022)
  • Glenns Ferry: City of Glenns Ferry
    This grant will activate a new public space with swings, a picnic table, a shade structure and the supplies needed to assist in park construction. State Video (2020)
  • Hidden Springs: Hidden Springs Town Association
    The creation of an all-weather path for the Hidden Springs community and greater Treasure Valley will provide an outdoor recreational option for all ages along scenic riparian trails, a community farm and agricultural fields. State Video (2021)
  • Lapwai: Prairie River Library District
    This project will create a covered bus stop equipped with Wi-Fi outside a local library, as well as an indoor gathering space focused on the audio, visual and mobility needs of older adults.  (2023)
  • Lincoln County: Lincoln County Youth Commission 
    Challenge funds will be used to create an indoor fitness track (to be called the "Lincoln Loop") with a comfortable, accessible walking surface in a climate-controlled environment. State Video (2021)
  • Malad City: Malad City
    This project will build regulation-size outdoor pickleball courts for use by local residents, providing a popular recreational form for exercise to people aged 50+. (2023)
  • Pocatello: NeighborWorks Pocatello
    This grant will provide for a mobile "Block Party Trailer" to be utilized throughout Pocatello in order to activate existing public spaces and create new spaces for social gatherings. (2018)
  • Pocatello: Growling Garden
    Families will receive a raised-bed garden, soil, seeds and plants as part of a food-producing training program. State Video (2021)
  • Pocatello: United Seniors Project
    This project will provide a forum for USP so others can embrace and become a part of the effort to provide a lifelong learning and wellness space which is multipurpose and intergenerational to improve physical, mental, emotional and social health. (2023)
  • Orofino: City of Orofino
    This project will install ADA-compliant benches to improve walkability and create opportunities for multigenerational interaction.  (2023)
  • Sandpoint: Kaniksu Land Trust
    To allow people of all ages and abilities to enjoy nature, this project will develop a half mile nature trail with seating in a peaceful, undeveloped setting. Photo Album State Video (2019)
  • Victor: Valley of the Tetons Library
    A public library will undergo improvements to increase the accessibility of the building for members of the community including new steps and an outdoor area with free internet access. State Video (2019)
  • Winchester: Winchester Community Library Community Garden
    This project will turn a public patio and outdoor space at a library into a community garden, which will include garden beds and ADA-accessible benches. The library will provide programming focused on sustainability and fostering healthy, safe and food-secure communities. Capacity-Building Microgrant (2023)

  • Alton: Mountains to Molehills
    This project will coordinate the installation of air conditioning window units in the homes of residents aged 50+ during the hottest months of the summer. (2023)
  • Batavia: Batavia MainStreet 
    A one-day event educated residents about mobility from different perspectives, including walking, bicycling, pushing a stroller and traveling in a wheelchair. (2017)
  • Chicago: Chicago Department of Transportation
    This grant will support the installation of temporary parklets in parking lanes along a commercial corridor and sidewalk enhancements to improve pedestrian safety, community engagement and economic development. (2018)
  • Chicago: Elevate Energy
    This project will help low-income senior homeowners make comprehensive renovations to their two-unit buildings. The improvements include making accessibility upgrades and addressing deferred maintenance which will ultimately make the buildings less costly and stressful to operate, and add a new source of income for homeowners. (2019)
  • Chicago: El Paseo Community Garden
    The project, "El Convivio," will add an ADA compliant planting station, outdoor kitchen area, accessible seating and a walking path and seating at a community garden. (2020)
  • Chicago: Metropolitan Mayors Caucus
    Grant funds will be used for a demonstration of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and for the development of model code language throughout the metropolitan area to increase awareness about and the production of this housing type. (2018)
  • Chicago: North Lawndale Employment Network 
    This grant will bridge the digital divide in North Lawndale for residents of all ages by providing free community Wi-Fi and online connectivity for residents living within a 1.5-mile radius of North Lawndale Employment Network's workforce campus. (2020)
  • Chicago: The Recyclery Collective
    In collaboration with local artists, this project will create "Art Potholes" to repair streets riddled with potholes. (2019)
  • Chicago: Rogers Park Business Alliance
    A safe and inviting community space in a small public plaza called a "People Spot," which includes benches, plantings, and wayfinding and related beautification elements will be created in a high pedestrian traffic area of the Clark Street commercial corridor. (2019)
  • Chicago: Good City Group
    This project will conduct three walk audits in a busy commercial district and stage a community workshop to identify potential locations for sidewalk and crosswalk improvements, with attention given to an intersection where a new Metra commuter rail station is being built. Capacity-Building Microgrant (2023)
  • Chicago: Greater Chatham Initiative
    This project will install a colorful and artistic Complete Streets demonstration, showcasing short-term street and sidewalk alterations to increase pedestrian safety for residents, especially those aged 50+. (2023)
  • Chicago: Nichols Park Advisory Council
    This project will install a comfortable and attractive circular tree bench in a park where residents can sit while they wait for the bus. (2023)
  • Chicago and surrounds: The SafeLIGHT Foundation
    A new program will provide taxi and ride-sharing services to older adults in need of transportation assistance. (2022)
  • Elgin: Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley
    This project will help low-income older residents remain safely in their homes by providing repairs and modifications that address health, safety or code violations issues. (2023)
  • Evanston: City of Evanston
    This grant will create a guide to help homeowners learn about and build accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on their property. (2020)
  • Joppa: Village of Joppa 
    A community park will be updated with accessible seating, picnic tables, swings and other features that can be used by people of all ages and abilities. (2021)
  • Mounds: City of Mounds
    Improvements at City Park will make the restrooms ADA-compliant, add a ramp to the gazebo, and install benches and umbrella-shaded picnic tables. (2022)
  • North Lawndale: Jesus Word Center
    A vacant lot will be converted into a community garden that can provide fresh produce to residents who are living in an area with limited access to healthy food. (2021)
  • Rockford: City of Rockford
    Repairs will be done to ramps, stairs, railings and porches — and connections to needed resources made — at homes in six areas with high ratios of residents age 65-plus. Other work, such as pot-hole repair, street-sign replacement and street sweeping will be done where needed. (2022)
  • Rushville: Schuyler County Mental Health Association
    This project will turn a vacant lot into a wheelchair-accessible community garden with 25 raised flower and produce garden beds for group therapy, educational and mindfulness sessions. All produce will go to a 24-hour community food pantry for those in need. Capacity-Building Microgrant (2023)
  • Springfield: Downtown Springfield
    This grant will sustain access to fresh, healthy foods in the Springfield community by improving the Old Capitol Farms Market's purchasing system, allowing older residents to shop at the market and reduce their possibility of exposure to COVID-19. (2020)
  • Wilmette: Go Green Wilmette 
    Volunteers and advocates demonstrated active transportation options and infrastructure by using Go Green’s “pop-up supplies” tool kit. [WWL] (2017)
  • Woodstock: City of Woodstock
    A wide pathway of crushed limestone will be built through the deep woods in Emricson Park. Seating areas will be created along the pathway. (2022)
  • Urbana: City of Urbana
    Challenge funds will benefit the Growing Community Initiative, which invites local artists to design and install works of art in selected local gardens. (2021)

  • Center Township: Edna Martin Christian Center
    To improve senior-related food security while addressing volunteer and job opportunities, this project will create an urban gardening space that will provide additional food access, recreation, and income opportunities for area seniors. (2020)
  • Evansville: Dream Center Evansville
    The intersection of North Main and West Michigan streets will be painted to improve visibility, and sidewalks and curbs on nearby streets — an area with a high percentage of older adults — will be repaired. (2022)
  • Evansville: Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve
    This ADA-accessible trail project aims to make the country’s largest urban old-growth forest fully accessible for people with limited mobility. (2023)
  • Floyd County: Blue River Services, Inc.
    Grant funds will help expand on-demand transportation services for older adults and people with disabilities. (2022)
  • Fort Wayne: Bridge of Grace Compassionate Ministries Center
    This project will make the Mount Vernon Park Neighborhood a more walkable, safe, and healthy community by installing improvements in neighborhood public spaces (community sidewalks and right of ways) that celebrate the diversity, history, and culture of the area and by hosting intergenerational community events. Article (2019)
  • Fort Wayne: Health By Design
    Three crossing areas at the southern end of the Wells Street corridor will be enhanced to improve safety. New lighting, seating and planters, events and more will draw attention to the area. (2022)
  • Fort Wayne: Fort Wayne Trails
    This project will install curb cuts and signage to improve the community’s access to a prairie, a pond and paths on the campus of Stillwater Hospice, a place of comfort and healing. (2023)
  • Gary: Legacy Foundation
    This grant will support safe biking by residents of all ages and abilities and improve connectivity between downtown venues and outdoor recreation options at the park by adding bike lanes and directional signs to a central downtown thoroughfare. (2020)
  • Gary: City of Gary Redevelopment Commission
    The grant will help provide for a new park on a formerly blighted vacant lot and offer free or low-cost events, programming and amenities to the general public. (2018)
  • Indianapolis: IndyGo
    Grant funds will be used to offer a transit stipend and training to the older adults living in low-income housing. The goal is to increase the use of rideshare so the residents can travel independently to health care, shopping, recreation and other destinations. (2018)
  • Indianapolis and Columbus: Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana
    This grant will provide shopping carts to help food-insecure seniors who are participating in "Senior Shopping Days" the ability to transport food from pantry sites to their vehicle without the physical strain of carrying heavy food items. (2020)
  • Indianapolis: Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc.
    Transforming a vacant lot alongside a neighborhood center will create a community orchard with native shade trees, benches and accessible pathways. (2021)
  • Indianapolis: Still Waters Adult Day Center
    This project will revitalize a languishing garden and make it inviting and accessible for people of all ages to plant and enjoy flowers, herbs and vegetables. Community members will be able to reserve plots and raised beds will ensure the garden’s accessibility for older people and their caregivers. Capacity-Building Microgrant (2023)
  • Jasonville: GROW Jasonville Inc.
    This project will create a walkway equipped with ADA-compliant benches, directional signage, lights and a painted crosswalk to encourage residents aged 50+ to use the nearby community garden and connect with Jacksonville’s history. (2023)
  • Kendallville: City of Kendallville
    An abandoned lot will be transformed into a usable park space with a stage, tables, seating and an area for food trucks and local vendors. (2021)
  • Kokomo: YMCA of Kokomo
    More than a dozen wayfinding signs were created and installed along the City-Line Trolley route and the Walk of Excellence Trail. (2017)
  • Lebanon: The Heart of Lebanon
    To help older adults attend the dozens of events The Heart of Lebanon stages downtown each year, seating and personal umbrellas (including ones that can be used as a cane) will be provided on-site. (2022)
  • Loogootee: Loogootee Beautification Board
    A large mural by a local artist will be installed on the side of an abandoned building that's being renovated as a multi-use community space. (2021)
  • Mongo: Mongo Community Development Association
    The project will conduct walk audits, identify areas with the greatest need for new sidewalks and work with a contractor to build them.  Capacity-Building Microgrant (2023)
  • Muncie: Sustainable Muncie Corporation
    In order to connect residents to the digital world in a comfortable and inviting environment, public internet access will be provided in areas inside and outside of a well-connected community center. (2020)
  • Pendleton: South Madison Community Foundation
    This project will develop a pocket park that will bring local school students and older adults engaged in storytelling and experience-sharing events.
  • Seymour: Anchor House, Inc.
    An extended awning will be built outside the Anchor House food pantry/emergency shelter and a mural painted on the side of its building. The outdoor space for vendors offering supportive services will be increased. (2022)
  • South Bend: South Bend Heritage
    An alleyway connecting senior citizen apartments to the rest of the community will be transformed into a vibrant and comfortable outdoor space with benches, picnic tables, games, plants and artistic touches. (2021)

  • Afton: City of Afton
    This grant will develop a portable parklet that can be moved to support social events at various locations and allow more opportunities for people of all ages to engage with each other while shopping, dining, watching parades, and enjoying popular Lawn Chair Nights. (2020)
  • Avoca: Avoca Public Library
    Grant funds will be used toward the construction of a musical park space that will feature outdoor musical instruments and a library green space that can serve as a gathering place for people of all ages and abilities. Video (2018)
  • Carlisle: City of Carlisle
    To help create a more walkable and attractive community, the city installed 10 benches, 10 planters, eight bicycle racks and 20 banner-sign mounts for its trails and downtown. (2017)
  • Chariton: Chariton Free Public Library
    This project will transform land adjacent to the library into an accessible gathering space and sensory garden, which will be open year-round and offer educational events on gardening, wildlife and nature appreciation. Capacity-Building Microgrant (2023)
  • Clarion: City of Clarion
    A pocket park will be constructed within the city's central business district. (2021)
  • Des Moines: Iowa League of Cities
    This project aims to demonstrate smart cities innovation in rural communities by holding educational workshops on data analytics in local government, followed by an immersive quick-action demonstration project. (2019)
  • Des Moines: Home Opportunities Made Easy
    This project will help construct an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) demonstration in an existing urban neighborhood to introduce the ADU as a housing alternative for the area and lead to an increased range of housing options for the community. (2020)
  • Des Moines: Des Moines Historical Society — Waveland Trolley Loop Project
    A park and interactive trolley sculpture will be created on a vacant, long-neglected site. The revitalized space will feature informational signage about the Waveland Trolley (which ceased operations in the 1940s) and life in Des Moines during the early 20th century. (2021)
  • Dyersville: Dyersville Economic Development Corporation
    As part of flood recovery efforts, grant funds will support amenities for a community plaza and amphitheater created in a block of green space near downtown riverfront development. (2019)
  • Ely: Ely Public Library
    This project will provide four virtual reality devices for the community’s use, with an emphasis on introducing older adults to the technology as education and entertainment.  (2023)
  • Epworth: American Legion John White Post 650
    The Veterans Memorial will promote awareness of the great service of men and women in all branches of the armed forces. (2023)
  • Estherville: City of Estherville
    Playground swings suitable for users of varied ages, skills and sizes will be installed at parks throughout  the city. (2021)
  • Glidden: City of Glidden
    This project will create a trail that will connect the city's Aquatic Center and Northland Park and will include safety features to allow for safe highway crossings as part of the trail. (2019)
  • Graettinger: City of Graettinger
    The project will install pickleball courts in a local park, providing older residents with access to the increasingly popular sport. 
  • Greeley: City of Greeley
    Decorative light poles will be installed along State Highway 38 as part of the city’s effort to create a downtown corridor. (2022)
  • Harlan: City of Harlan
    This project will create a StoryWalk, a trail that combines walking with stops for reading a narrative, which is an innovative way to enjoy reading and the outdoors at the same time. (2019)
  • Keokuk: Keokuk Parks Foundation
    This grant will help convert existing tennis courts into dedicated pickleball courts. (2018)
  • Logan: Logan Public Library
    This project will turn an underutilized lawn into an accessible public area with the addition of a covered gazebo, seating and an ADA-accessible picnic table. (2023)
  • Malvern: Golden Hills Resource Conservation & Development
    This project will improve two important public corridors within the community — the Wabash Trace entryway and the Art Alley — with art installations, accessible benches and landscaping. (2021)
  • Manning: Main Street Manning
    The grant will fund decorative lighting along Main Street to increase the safety and use of public spaces along the three-block corridor. (2018)
  • Manning: City of Manning
    Display cases will be installed in locations throughout the city in order to protect and share cultural items of significance to the community. (2021)
  • Perry: Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HIRTA)
    ADA-compliant benches will be installed at city bus stops, and improved signage (including bilingual signs at designated stops) will be instituted throughout the system. Free rides will be given to passengers who are participating in a local health study. (2022)
  • Polk County: Aging Resources
    Older adults without a smartphone will be able to order an Uber or Lyft ride by phoning a call center. Older passengers will be provided up to eight free rides per month. (2022)
  • Stanton: Stanton Community Foundation
    In honor of the town’s Swedish history, Swedish-themed mile markers will be installed along the Stanton Greenbelt Trail. (2021)
  • Toledo: Tama/Toledo Healthy Hometown Committee
    Two crosswalks, one helping connect Toledo and Tama, will be installed. Flashing yield signs and new connecting sidewalks will link the crosswalks to other walkways. (2022)
  • Wilton: Wilton Public Library
    This project will improve a garden space by developing a sensory area for all ages. The upgrades will provide shade and increase comfortable seating options, ensuring the space is accessible for all users. Master gardeners will help guide planting, with the aim of growing produce. Capacity-Building Microgrant (2023)
  • Woodbine: Woodbine Main Street
    The grant will provide for interpretive signs to be mounted on buildings and in pocket parks along Main Street in order to share the history of the community and serve as a focal point for new walking loops throughout the downtown. (2018)

  • Bartlett: City of Bartlett (no website)
    Challenge funds will help develop a park on Main Street to encourage outdoor activities and community gatherings. (2021)
  • Blue Rapids: Blue Rapids Community Action Team 
    A basketball court at City Park will be turned into two pickleball courts, and an event introducing attendees to the sport will be staged. (2022)
  • Coffeyville: Coffeyville's Reawakening Neighborhood Initiative
    This "Porchology" project will impact the way residents think about using their porches to improve their lives, homes, and neighborhoods by rebuilding four neglected dwellings with railings, trim, safe steps, porch swings, hanging plants, a birdhouse, and more. (2020)
  • Gardner: City of Gardner
    This grant will fund a pop-up demonstration of an ADA-accessible, portable parklet as part of a larger process encouraging places for people, which is a key part of Gardner's downtown revitalization strategy. (2018)
  • Halstead: The Kansas Learning Center for Health, Inc.
    This project will install benches, bench swings and concrete artwork to encourage intergenerational engagement and provide places for rest and conversation along walking paths and in a community garden. (2023)
  • Iola: Thrive Allen County
    This project will provide raised garden beds, a greenhouse, a solar energy kit and a heater and fan to make a community garden more accessible to community members of all ages throughout more the year. Capacity-Building Microgrant (2023)
  • Iola: Thrive
    A musical playground featuring outdoor, mounted instruments will be built in a flower garden on the grounds of Allen County Regional Hospital. (2022)
  • Kansas City: Rosedale Development Association
    New flooring, lighting, accessible seating and COVID-19 precautions will enable a community space to once again be used for events, workshops, parties and meetings. (2021)
  • Lawrence: United Way of Douglas County
    This grant will enhance the usability of a successful public bus system for disabled and aging residents by installing culturally-relevant and artistic bus stops - including benches and shelters. (2020)
  • Lawrence: Home Works USA
    This project will enlarge a community garden next to an affordable housing community. Four raised beds will ensure accessibility for residents with disabilities, as well as for older volunteers. Excess produce will be donated to local food banks. Capacity-Building Microgrant (2023)
  • Newton: Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams
    ADA-compliant benches and educational signage will be installed at a future wetlands park located one mile from a large retirement community. Safety warnings and pavement markings will also be created. (2022)
  • Newton: Newton Murals & Arts Project
    This project will convert the back of a billboard into a mixed-media mural depicting figures and images representing Kansas history, adding vibrancy to a park located near a train station.  (2023)
  • Rossville: Rossville Community Foundation
    This project will create a multipurpose trail to enable safe outdoor exercise and allow older adults to gain the health benefits of walking and biking. (2023)
  • Savonburg: City of Savonburg
    A half-mile walking trail and amenities will be added to the city's community park. (2021)
  • Topeka: The Gil Carter Initiative, Inc.
    Grant funds will be used to build a greenhouse, install ADA-compliant benches and host health and wellness events featuring medical professionals and nutritionists. (2022)
  • Wichita: Wichita Public Library Foundation 
    Walk Wichita participated in Wichita’s Open Streets event in September 2017 by launching three walking tours through the PocketSights app. The tours were accessible and navigable for people with varying degrees of mobility. [WWL] Video (2017)
  • Wichita: City of Wichita
    The city will purchase 50 hotspot devices bringing the project total to 90 devices. (2019)

  • Beaver Dam: City of Beaver Dam
    As part of a downtown renaissance, old wooden doors will be turned into artworks illustrating the city’s history and will then be mounted on the outer walls of existing buildings. (2022)
  • Beverly: Red Bird Mission
    In this intergenerational project, high school students will build leadership skills by teaching basic computer skills to older rural residents. (2023)
  • Bowling Green: WKU Aging Center for Gerontology 
    Funds were granted to develop a mural by alumni of the Over Fifty Academy (a leadership group within the Age-Friendly Bowling Green effort) and Companions of Respected Elders, a student group at Western Kentucky University. (2017)
  • Danville: Heart of Danville
    The grant will support the installation of the first community mural in downtown Danville and engage 1,000 residents in the design and painting of the mural. Photo Album (2018)
  • Danville: Community Arts Center
    Grant funds will help facilitate mosaic workshops with students at the Kentucky School for the Deaf with the goal of including their contributions in a large, visible piece of public artwork installed on one of the most prominent buildings in town. (2019)
  • Florence: Florence Christian Church
    A bicycle rack and bicycle repair station will be installed in the church parking lot for use by food pantry guests, users of the church’s free shower service and all city residents. Photo Album (2022)
  • Glasgow: Barren County Fiscal Court
    This project will fund the purchase of 15 portable generators for qualifying residents with healthcare needs to use during power outages. (2023)
  • Harrodsburg: Campbellsville University Harrodsburg Conover Education Center
    To beautify one of Kentucky's oldest streets, long-lasting concrete planters with be installed, trees will be planted, and signs will be installed — all of which will be maintained by resident volunteers or local organizations. (2020)
  • Hazard: University of Kentucky Research Foundation
    Workbenches, a 3-D printer, pipe benders and a drill press will be among the equipment purchased to bolster a program in which volunteers refurbish used medical equipment and adapt toys to aid people with disabilities. Article (2022)
  • Highland Heights: Campbell County Senior Center
    Two raised-bed planters will be built and developed, and workshops will be held to teach older adults about gardening. (2022)
  • Jackson: Kentucky River Area Development District
    This project will turn a flooded green space into a community gardens with raised beds, buckets and an accessible bench. Local senior centers will be invited to use the raised beds for educational classes and outings. Produce grown in the garden will be distributed to the community. Capacity-Building Microgrant (2023)
  • Lexington: Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky
    To strengthen relations between grandparents and grandchildren, events at which attendees can plant trees and flower bulbs or build free mini libraries (or both) will be staged across the state. (2022)
  • Lexington: Seedleaf
    The project will provide gardening tools and resources designed for use by older adults that will be accessible to residents volunteering at a free u-pick garden. (2019)
  • Louisville: Louisville Metro Government
    This project will address pedestrian safety issues by prioritizing pedestrian access to nearby amenities at a family life center and neighborhood park. Enhancements include improved visibility at crosswalks, upgrades/repairs to infrastructure and beautification. (2019)
  • Louisville: Louisville Metro Government
    This grant will help improve sidewalks, pavers, benches and art to increase safety and access to green spaces and artistic places along the 9th Street corridor. Video (2018)
  • Louisville: Center For Neighborhoods
    This project will support ongoing efforts to create a safer, more inviting main street by implementing plans co-created by area stakeholders, including the installation of permanent lighting; pedestrian pathways; an intergenerational, historical mural; planter boxes; signage; and more. Photo Album (2020)
  • Louisville: ElderServe
    To provide a safe, comfortable space for older residents who are waiting for transportation, a bus stop shelter will be installed that is both functional and visually pleasing near a popular senior center. (2020)
  • Louisville: Parks Alliance of Louisville
    A new public park in a neighborhood with high rates of poor health will receive three fitness stations. (2022)
  • Newport: ReNewport
    This project will enhance access and use of current bus routes in the neighborhood by adding seating, as well as other beautification and amenities for bus stops, such as bike racks, trees, flowers and trashcans. (2019)
  • Owensboro and Daviess Counties: Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum
    A state of the art, user-friendly audio guide will be purchased for the museum to increase accessibility and enhance the educational experience. (2021)
  • Pikeville: City of Pikeville
    Grant funds will help create a vibrant public place — a civic plaza and outdoor arts venue — that will revitalize underutilized space in downtown. (2019)
  • Salyersville: Royalton Community Council
    This project will transform a community park into a gathering place where residents can enjoy concerts, outdoor movies and other events. It will add benches, shade canopies and trash cans, as well as a sound system and other amenities.
  • Whitesburg: Appalshop Inc.
    A popular trail that serves as a transportation and exercise corridor for a rural town will be updated with resurfacing, a large crosswalk, signage, stencil art and benches. Photo Album and Video (2021)

  • Abbeville: Abbeville Main Street
    Challenge funds will support the installation of a walking trail and fitness stations in the Lafitte Drive-In Park. (2021)
  • Baton Rouge: Center for Planning Excellence
    The grant will provide lighting, safe pedestrian crossings and programming for walking clubs to increase the safety and pedestrian activity near LongfellowPark. (2018) (Video)
  • Baton Rouge: Downtown Development District
    Several high-visibility, artistic crosswalks will be created along a core street in the capital city's downtown to improve pedestrian safety and enhance the area's appeal. (2021)
  • Baton Rouge: Delta Chapter of the Sierra Club
    This project will create a video to depict a typical day on local transit.  It will organize community meetings with the aim of bringing residents who use the Baton Rouge area bus system together with its operators to improve service and increase ridership. Demonstration Grant (2023)
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  • Bunkie: The Center for Planning Excellence
    Plans will be drawn to convert two vacant, city-owned lots into pocket parks and at least one will be developed through the use of AARP Community Challenge funds. (2022)
  • DeRidder: City of DeRidder
    Grant funds will be used toward the creation of faux-brick crosswalks at 17 downtown intersections and the installation of wayfinding directional signs to improve walkability and access to cultural, social and healthy foods. (2018)
  • Erath: Town of Erath
    Bicycle racks will be installed in the downtown and community park. (2021)
  • Hammond: City of Hammond
    This project will transform an underutilized public space into a multipurpose place capable of hosting special events that bring older adults and people of all ages together in one cultural location. (2023)
  • Harahan: City of Harahan
    The city will conduct four walk audits along a state highway to identify potential locations for sidewalk and crosswalk improvements. This project will recruit volunteers from a local senior center to participate. Capacity-Building Microgrant (2023)
  • Lake Charles: Greater St. Mary Community Development Foundation
    African American churches will create cooling centers powered by in-ground generators and expand their digital hubs to provide safe, cool places for residents to digitally connect with recovery resources and get assistance during weather emergencies. (2023) 
  • Minden: Village of Dixie Inn
    The project will install shade coverings in the local park to make it more comfortable and enjoyable for residents of all ages. (2023)
  • New Orleans: New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity, Inc.
    This project will renovate a meeting space and intergenerational playground in an affordable housing development built for low-income musicians who were displaced in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.  (2023)
  • New Orleans: Algiers Economic Development Foundation
    Six bike racks, decorative lighting and a bicycle repair station will be added along a three-block section of Kabel Drive, a commercial corridor in the Algiers neighborhood. (2022)
  • New Orleans: Dillard University Community Relations
    A community garden with 20 raised-bed garden boxes will be created, and six healthy-cooking demonstrations and four health fairs will be held. (2022)
  • New Orleans: FitLot
    The construction of a footbridge and walking path connected this community fitness park to the Lafitte Greenway, an active rails-to-trails pedestrian path. In addition, FitLot coaches provided more than 36 hours of free fitness coaching to older people from a community that suffers from one of the largest health disparity gaps in the nation. [WWL] Video (2017)
  • New Orleans: Water Wise Gulf South
    Funds will help establish a community orchard and garden to be used as a gathering space for events and green infrastructure demonstration projects. (2019)
  • New Orleans: Sankofa CDC
    Funding will support intergenerational, nature-centered activities such as fishing, canoeing and hiking at the Sankofa Wetland Park and Nature Trail. (2021)
  • Opelousas: City of Opelousas
    This project will help to create a more vibrant main street through accessible outdoor seating for four public gathering spaces, picnic tables that allow wheelchair access, and ADA benches. (2019)
  • Shreveport: Shreveport Common
    ADA compliant tables will be installed to complete the Art Bosque Food Truck Court with outdoor seating, giving neighbors and community a gathering place to connect with friends and embrace healthy living. (2020)
  • Tallulah: City of Tallulah
    Funds will be used to create new crosswalks designed to beautify the area, help increase physical activity, and draw attention to the crosswalks for drivers who may not be familiar with the area. (2019)
  • Thibodaux: City of Thibodaux
    Benches and bicycle racks will be installed downtown and along the Menard Pedestrian Bike Trail. (2022)
  • Ville Platte: The Acosta Foundation
    A mural, lighting and benches will be installed on Main Street to commemorate the local Tee Cotton Bowl, an annual high school football game and week-long event (recently featured in the PBS documentary Flat Town) promoting racial reconciliation. Photo Album (2021)

  • Acton: Three Rivers Land Trust
    This project will install accessible benches and parking guidance to make it easier for older adults and people with mobility challenges to enjoy the Goat Hill Trail. (2023)
  • Auburn: City of Auburn 
    Walk audits will ensure intergenerational community design input for two MaineDOT-funded traffic and pedestrian safety modification projects and one in the planning phase.  The sites require traffic calming to make it safer for pedestrians, including older residents. Capacity-Building Microgrant (2023)
  • Augusta, Bangor and Westbrook: Bicycle Coalition of Maine
    Projects in three communities will improve pedestrian safety by increasing crosswalk visibility, shortening crossings and calming traffic. These short-term demonstrations are critical first steps toward installing permanent pedestrian safety enhancements. (2020)
  • Bangor: Bangor Livable Communities Committee
    The safety and functionality of the Kenduskeag Stream Trail will be improved by widening the trail, installing ADA-compliant benches and improving signage. A structural assessment of one bridge will be conducted. (2022)
  • Bath: Kennebec Estuary Land Trust
    The Whiskeag Trail will be widened and stabilized; bridges will be widened, with ramps added; ADA-compliant benches will be installed; and an emergency system will be updated. (2022)
  • Belfast: Aging Well in Waldo County
    This project will help create and enhance public spaces within two libraries in the community by making repairs, beautifying the spaces and increasing accessibility. (2019)
  • Berwick: Town of Berwick with Berwick for a Lifetime
    The town will create a Handy Helper Tool Collection to enable residents to try out tools for everyday activities and household chores. The displays will introduce residents to new products before they make purchases. (2023)
  • Bethel: Bethel Area Age-Friendly 
    The grant was used to construct a display and kit featuring tools and household accessories that can make a home safer and help prevent falls. (2017)
  • Bethel Region: Age-Friendly Bethel
    The Bethel Region Age-Friendly Community Initiative — in collaboration with the Bethel Congo Crafters, the Bethel Area Arts and Music Program and the Gem Theater — will install decorative wooden benches and picnic tables in well-trafficked outdoor areas in six regional towns. (2021)
  • Blue Hill: Healthy Peninsula
    This project will support the development of a Traveling Tool Table — a collection of useful, affordable devices to help older people remain independent — that will be launched at local libraries, some of the most popular gathering places in the community. (2019)
  • Blue Hill: Blue Hill Heritage Trust
    The grant will support the construction of a new age-friendly trail in Blue Hill in order to increase connectivity in the traditional downtown and adjacent areas. (2018)
  • Bowdoinham: Advisory Committee on Aging 
    Raised planters were constructed for residents who had stopped gardening because they were unable to keep a traditional, in-the-ground garden. [WWL] Article (2017)
  • Bowdoinham: Town of Bowdoinham
    The town will develop a plain language guide promoting the use of Universal Design as an approach to more inclusive, safe and accessible housing for people of all ages and abilities. (2023)
  • Caribou: Cary Medical Center with Age Friendly Caribou
    This project will create a digital toolkit to inform residents about elder abuse and engage them in its prevention, with the additional aim of sharing the toolkit with other Maine communities. (2023)
  • Chelsea: Age-Friendly Chelsea
    This project will create an intergenerational, accessible community garden at an elementary school, with at least eight raised beds and an accessible bench, as well as signs and decorative artwork created by the students. Capacity-Building Microgrant (2023)
  • Danforth: Danforth Livable Communities
    The city’s Livable Communities Center will be brought up to ADA standards with a new front walkway and entryway and a renovation of its stairwell. (2022)
  • Dexter: Town of Dexter Age-Friendly Community Committee
    This project will create “Pop-Up Universities” to provide older adults with meaningful activities as well as make improvements to increase seating at Wayside Park, which will enable people with mobility challenges to be able to navigate the park and enjoy public events. (2020)
  • Eastport: City of Eastport
    The grant will provide for the installation of outdoor musical instruments in Cony Park, further activating the public space and encouraging people of all ages to play music. (2018)
  • Eliot: Eliot Aging in Place Committee
    Residents will benefit from a more vibrant public park when five new benches are installed, and provide spots for people to rest during exercise or strolls along the river. (2020)
  • Freeport: Town of Freeport 
    The town will bring the community together for an outdoor event featuring a hot air balloon experience for people of all ages and physical abilities. (2021)
  • Fryeburg: Fryeburg Age-Friendly Community Taskforce
    The community will create a recreation trail designed to be easily walkable by older adults and those with mobility challenges. The path will ultimately be a one-mile loop trail that features a pedestrian bridge, benches and signage for people of all ages to enjoy. (2020)
  • Gardiner: City of Gardiner
    This grant will help in developing a pop-up demonstration near the public library of different sidewalk treatments in order to engage input prior to any permanent improvements being made as part of Gardiner's age-friendly plan. (2018)
  • Hallowell: Vision Hallowell
    The purchase and installation of a 24-foot-long aluminum ramp will allow convenient and easy access to Hallowell’s busy waterfront bulkhead for older adults, people with mobility challenges, young children and those with strollers. (2020)
  • Liberty: Citizens' Association of Liberty Lakes
    To increase safe access to swimming and easy entry into two public swimming areas, new steps, handrails and other amenities will be added. Picnic tables and benches will also be installed to encourage the public to gather and spend time in these natural outdoor spaces. (2020)
  • Millinocket: Millinocket Memorial Library
    Solar-powered lighting will be installed along a popular downtown walking trail, increasing safety and accessibility, especially for older walkers. (2023)
  • Millinocket: Town of Millinocket
    An outdoor event provided residents with an intergenerational social and recreational outing during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The new Long Acre Trail was dotted with storyboards for StoryWalk, an activity in which hikers can read a story while advancing along the trail. Video and Photo Album (2020)
  • Mount Vernon: Mount Vernon Community Partnership Corporation
    To help residents age in place, grant funds will go toward a Tool Library to provide easy access to tools, especially for older adults in the community and volunteers who assist them. (2019)
  • North Yarmouth: North Yarmouth Fire Rescue 
    The department installed Knox Home Box key safes outside the homes of older residents so first responders can access a key or code for rapid entry into the home in case of an emergency. [WWL] (2017)
  • Old Orchard Beach: Old Orchard Beach Community Friendly Connection
    This project will contribute to community efforts to revitalize and re-energize an entire block by engaging the neighborhood in a collaborative effort to clean up, restore, and refresh Atlantic Courts Park and Washington Ave district, including a walkable sidewalk demonstration. (2019)
  • Portland: Age Friendly Portland
    Purchasing portable ramps will improve accessibility to town gathering spaces, services and amenities for residents and visitors with mobility challenges. Video and Photo Album (2022)
  • Portland: Portland Trails
    This project will upgrade a rustic trail in an urban greenspace into a trail that is accessible to wheelchairs and people of different abilities and improve access to walking, cycling options, and areas of natural beauty. (2019)
  • Portland: Portland Downtown 
    The grant-funded project will activate blighted alleyways with murals that use old doors, lighting, greenery and creative overhead treatments to turn the corridors into engaging multiactivity spaces.  (2021) 
  • Portland: Friends of Congress Square Park
    The grant will fund a badminton league, disc golf practice sessions and chess and board-game events to help bring people together with fun activities. (2023)
  • Presque Isle: City of Presque Isle
    The improvements to the Bike & Walking Trail will help increase use of the paved, lit trail, residents' movement and health, and opportunities for community member engagement. (2019)
  • Rangeley: United Way of the Tri-Valley Area
    A program providing free rides to people are 50 or older in this rural community will be maintained and expanded, partly with the addition of seven volunteer drivers. (2022)
  • Raymond: Raymond Village Library
    The grant will fund a new intergenerational, adaptive garden to promote activity and engagement among all age groups and provide food for the local food pantry. (2018)
  • Readfield: Age-Friendly Community Committee
    The grant will allow the community to revitalize an intergenerational outdoor space to include seating, bike racks and picnic tables at the historic Readfield Fairgrounds. (2018)
  • Readfield: Age-Friendly Readfield 
    Funding will be used to create a kayak dock, provide outdoor seating at the library and local beach, and acquire equipment for curbside deliveries at the community food pantry. (2021)
  • Saco: Age Friendly Saco
    The grant funding will enable the city to install ADA-compliant beach mats and devices to improve mobility and accessibility to local beaches for all. Video and Photo Album (2018)
  • Saco: Age-Friendly Saco
    This project will provide a flexible shuttle service as a transportation option for older residents in the region, helping them to shop for groceries, attend social events and run errands.  Demonstration Grant (2023)
  • Scarborough: Scarborough Public Library
    This project will establish a network of walking paths to provide a safe place and programs for older adults to exercise and socialize outdoors in a community that lacks a walkable downtown. (2023)
  • Scarborough: Project GRACE
    Three community gardens, two of which are used exclusively to feed  undernourished residents, will gain funding, as will a program that provides supplemental heating assistance and home repairs to older adults. (2022)
  • Searsmont: Georges River Land Trust
    A portion of an existing riverfront trail will receive new seating, trailhead kiosks with information about the area and new accessible parking spots. (2022)
  • Sedgwick: Blue Hill Heritage Trust
    The project will create an easily-traversed walking path and viewing platform, as well as a ramp that allowing for easy access to the shore. (2023)
  • South Portland: Age-Friendly South Portland 
    By demonstrating street-level safety features (such as lane delineators, signage and curb extensions), this project will improve pedestrian and bicycle safety, increase crosswalk visibility, shorten street crossing distances and calm traffic. (2021)
  • South Portland: Age Friendly South Portland
    A walk audit will be conducted to identify ways to improve safety on the Green Belt Trail. Signage will also be installed, and a program on the correct use of the trail will be produced for Access TV. (2022)
  • Sullivan: Age-Friendly Sullivan 
    A vacant lot adjacent to a playground will be used for a walking trail and fitness stations. (2021)
  • Sullivan: Age-Friendly Sullivan
    The grant will fund an automated external defibrillator (AED) for the town’s community building, which will be accessible to anyone using the facilities for exercise, meetings or other activities. (2023)
  • Surry: Town of Surry
    Signage will be added along Route 172 to slow speeding traffic by drivers who are often unaware of the small town’s presence as they shuttle between Ellsworth and Blue Hill. (2022)
  • Wayne: Aging at Home 
    Two flashing traffic signs and two “Stop for Pedestrians” signs were purchased and installed along a busy roadway. [WWL] (2017)
  • Wayne: Aging At Home 
    To help protect pedestrians and drivers, crossing signals equipped with flashing beacons and arrows will be installed in the community's downtown. (2021)

  • Annapolis: Annapolis Arts District
    Funding will allow the community to install artistic bike racks throughout the arts district to encourage a safer, more bikeable community for all ages. (2018)
  • Annapolis: Anne Arundel Conflict Resolution Center
    The center will conduct workshops to educate adults age 50-plus on conflict management at local senior centers, enhancing community inclusion and acceptance of individual differences. (2023)
  • Ashton: Emmanuel Brinklow Seventh Day Adventist
    The grant will fund renovations to the organization’s multipurpose center, including creation of walking trails and expansion of the community garden. (2023) 
  • Baltimore: Adopt-A-Block, Inc 
    An abandoned home will be renovated and given away, mortgage free, to someone 50 or older who has never owned a home. (2022)
  • Baltimore: Art with a Heart Inc. 
    A mosaic of glass and ceramic will be created by city residents at a series of workshops, then displayed outside the University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus. (2022)
  • Baltimore: Baltimore City Office of Information & Technology (BCIT)
    As part of a smart city initiative, an online tool will be developed that will allow residents and businesses to more easily access and use city services — for example, apply for government services and pay taxes — that can improve their daily lives. This tool will empower all city residents so that they have an efficient, meaningful experience when they engage with government. (2019)
  • Baltimore: Bon Secours Community Works
    A memorial park for the first female firefighter in Maryland to die in the line of duty is being created for multi-generational use by local residents. Necessary infrastructure will be purchased and installed to help make the creation of this park a reality. (2020)
  • Baltimore: Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service 
    This project will create a community network to build the capacity of older adults to engage in public policy and knowledge-sharing discussions focused on housing, advocacy and consumer issues. (2021)
  • Baltimore: North Ave Mission 
    A community garden in a low-income neighborhood will be upgraded and made more accessible with the creation of a rain garden and installation of a permeable paver path, a picnic table, lighting and a canopy. (2022)
  • Baltimore: Pigtown Main Street 
    As part of a long-term infrastructure improvement project, a pop-up demonstration park event was held at an intersection in need of safety enhancements. [WWL] (2017)
  • Baltimore: ReBUILD Johnston Square Neighborhood Organization
    Bee Safe, a crosswalk art project, will engage local teens and other residents to design and create artistic crosswalks that will slow traffic, increase the safety of crossings for school children and celebrate neighborhood identity. Photo Album (2021)
  • Baltimore: Saint Agnes Foundation 
    New volunteers and older-adult participants will be recruited for a program begun in 2020 in which the former accompany the latter to medical appointments. (2022)
  • Baltimore: The Urban Oasis 
    A two-story structure will be built to house equipment at a community garden and provide gathering space for a program in which teens remove trash, mow lawns, plant trees and tend other gardens. (2022)
  • Berlin: Town of Berlin
    This grant will allow the town to purchase tables and seating to be set up during events that occur on Main Street, providing a place to sit for older residents and strengthening community engagement. (2018) 
  • District Heights: City of District Heights
    Grant funding will be used to improve an outdoor space with new amenities to promote community engagement for all ages. (2018)
  • Elkton: Bayside Community Network, Inc.
    This project will help convert the organization’s kitchen and on-site greenhouse into a learning garden-to-table experience to increase the overall health, independence and employability for people age 50-plus and those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. (2023)
  • Glen Burnie: Anne Arundel County Transit
    This project will provide ADA-compliant bus shelters for patrons in identified areas throughout the service area. (2023) 
  • Hagerstown: Washington County Commission on Aging
    This rural county will develop a mobile program to connect isolated clients with staff who can provide in-person services and resources. (2020)

  • Attleboro: Attleboro Norton YMCA
    This project will provide free care to older adults with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and other related dementias so their caregivers can exercise while knowing that their loved ones are safe. (2023)
  • Belchertown: Town of Belchertown
    This project will be used toward wayfinding components of the Lake Wallace Sensory Trail that helps to improve quality of life for residents, provide new recreational and educational opportunities, and contribute to the town's economic vitality.  Photo Album (2019)
  • Beverly: Beverly Main Streets
    Fifty senior residents will have raised garden beds installed and planted with flowers and vegetable plants in front of their homes. To combat social isolation, they’ll be matched with local families who will visit and assist with the gardening. (2020)
  • Boston: City of Boston
    Age-friendly benches will be installed in each of the main street districts to help engage older residents and enhance local economic activity. This project will go toward developing a framework for a sustainable city-wide bench program that addresses longer-term issues of installation and maintenance. (2019)  Video
  • Boston: City of Boston
    The Boston Public Library will add locations to its free, 24-hour Outdoor Wi-Fi Program so people can access high-speed internet services through workstations located outside of library buildings. (2021)
  • Boston: The Trustees of Reservations 
    A hazardous walkway will be repaired at Southwest Corridor Community Farm, and four raised-bed gardens will be built for disabled gardeners at Savin & Maywood Community Garden. (2022)
  • Boston: Urban Farming Institute of Boston
    The institute will build and install raised "Grow Boxes" for residents hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic so they can grow fresh, healthy food. (2021)
  • Bridgewater: Bridgewater Senior Center
    The project will fund a garden and outdoor activity area designed for older adults. It will include ADA-compliant and wheelchair-accessible raised gardening beds, grilling stations and outdoor seating. Capacity-Building Microgrant (2023)
  • Brockton: Old Colony YMCA
    The East Bridgewater community will better connect its residents with local trails by installing wayfinding signage, ADA-compliant benches and accessible pathways along the Hiking Viking Trail. (2018)
  • Chelsea: City of Chelsea
    Using community designed public art and quick build place-making tools, this project will beautify and activate one full city block on Division Street. This is the first important step to link the heart of downtown with the waterfront via a low stress neighborway street. (2019)
  • Chelsea: La Colaborativa, Inc.
    La Plazita, an indoor/outdoor activity space, will provide Latinx residents age 50-plus with a place to gather, connect, celebrate and create community. The space is inspired by plazas, mercados and outdoor spaces in Latin America. (2023)
  • Chelmsford: Chelmsford Public Library 
    Indigenous people’s contributions to the area’s development will be acknowledged with 11 informational kiosks and five freestanding mini libraries, plus programs focusing on the arts and history. (2022)
  • Dunstable: Town of Dunstable
    This project will conduct three walk audits in the town center, with a focus on connections with public facilities, conservation trails and the small business community. The town will host community meetings to discuss the findings. Capacity-Building Microgrant (2023)
  • Greenfield: City of Greenfield
    A parking lot will be transformed into a vibrant pocket park and community gathering spot in the center of the downtown area. Plans include the creation of a rain garden, a new bench at an existing bus stop, a chess table with chairs and a bike pump/repair station. Photo Album (2020)
  • Lynn: Beyond Walls, Inc.
    This project will construct and activate a custom parklet program, creating public space platforms that convert curbside parking and other elements of the streetscape into vibrant community spaces. (2019)
  • Lynn: City of Lynn
    The funded project will improve public access and amenities and provide arts and cultural programming at two downtown public spaces, enabling safe outdoor gatherings for the community’s diverse population of older adults. (2021)
  • Lynn: Bike to the Sea
    This project will conduct three walk audits to assess challenges that older adults face when accessing a shared-use trail. The organization will work with local stakeholders and city officials to advocate for improvements to increase accessibility and use. Capacity-Building Microgrant (2023)
  • Middlesex County: Clear Path for Veterans New England 
    Challenge funds will help in the creation of Clear Path's Memorial Courtyard, which will serve as an outdoor space "where Veterans, families, and the general public can reflect, remember and enjoy the enduring spirit of the United States Military." (2021)
  • Natick: Metropolitan Area Planning Council
    The council developed and promoted changes to address the specific mobility, recreational and logistical needs of older adults so they could use local off-road trails. [WWL] (2017)
  • Roxbury and North Dorchester: Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative
    Dynamic virtual spaces for intergenerational dialogue will be created so residents can connect online to address community issues, attend workshops and join support groups. (2020)
  • Springfield: Pioneer Valley Transit Authority
    This grant will be used to pilot bench installations around bus stops to enable better travel experiences for seniors and disabled individuals who use public transit. (2018)
  • Springfield: WalkMassachusetts
    The grant will fund a walk audit training program to teach residents how to recognize hazardous conditions in their communities and advocate for changes to make streets safer. (2023)
  • South Dennis: Dennis Center for Active Living 
    In a corner on the Center for Active Living grounds, six raised-bed gardens and two ADA-compliant benches will be places on a new concrete surface. (2022)
  • Westford: Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell
    This grant will serve older adults by being used to purchase tools and supplies in order to deliver critical home repairs to low-income homeowners. (2018)
  • Westport: Westport Council on Aging 
    A fixed-route transportation service for older adults will be established, operating one day per week between common shopping, banking and medical destinations in this rural community. (2022)
  • Worcester: MassBike 
    Bicycling will be encouraged by pairing 20 teenaged cyclists with 20 older recipients in an ongoing program that awards free e-bikes. There will also be five bicycle workshops as well as group rides. (2022)

  • Bessemer: City of Bessemer 
    Artistic bicycle stands were installed to provide secure bike parking and encourage people to pedal rather than drive. (2017)
  • Detroit: Arboretum Detroit
    An ADA-compliant boardwalk plus a deck with benches will be installed near Mission Point, a nursing and rehabilitation facility. (2022)
  • Detroit: Eden Gardens Block Club
    This grant will help create a multigenerational community-built playground in an area currently without any safe, nearby play resources. (2018)
  • Detroit: The Literacy Center
    Designed to develop an innovative transportation model for seniors, veterans and the disabled, this pilot project will deploy electric autonomous passenger shuttles for the purpose of medical appointments, pharmacy visits and community shopping. Video (2019)
  • Detroit: Road to Freedom
    An abandoned apartment complex with be rehabilitated by recent parolees and adults over 50, teaching them construction and social skills. (2022)
  • East Lansing: Michigan State University (MSU)/AgeAlive
    A remotely conducted Senior Ambassador and Lifelong Learning Program will be developed and piloted. Data collection will focus on the impact of virtual social programs on social isolation, loneliness and quality of life in older adults. (2020)
  • Flint: Carriage Town Neighborhood Association
    With the help of the city, a university and a foundation, a Flint neighborhood will renovate a park by installing lights and a footbridge that connects residents to the downtown area. (2018)
  • Genesee County: Greater Flint Health Coalition
    The project will recruit volunteers and install raised-beds at community gardens at food banks and centers for older adults. (2022)
  • Grand Rapids: Dwelling Place 
    This project will create an accessible community greenhouse, designed by graduate architecture students in collaboration with low-income older adults, to extend the growing season at a community garden. (2023)
  • Hamtramck: City of Hamtramck
    This project will create more equitable access to city services by providing multi-lingual information about low-cost transportation options and installing bus benches at locations frequented by older adults and children. (2021)
  • Hamtramck: Eastern Michigan University 
    Challenge funds will be used to temporarily tranform a downtown alley into a pedestrian-friendly route and community gathering space. Feedback from the short-term project will be used to inform the final design. (2021)
  • Jackson: Grow Jackson
    This project will enhance a community garden by implementing educational programming for older adults on topics including nutrition and fresh food, gardening and food saving. Capacity-Building Microgrant (2023)
  • Lansing: Lansing Parks and Recreation
    This project will create a senior fitness membership for residents aged 60 and older, providing access to a fitness center, drop-in activities and an instructor to lead fitness and nutrition classes. (2023)
  • Lansing: Allen Neighborhood Center
    A bike repair station will be installed in Hunter Park allowing community members, neighbors and visitors to the area to service their bicycles independently. (2019)
  • Lansing: City of Lansing
    The roundabout at Harding and Pershing avenues will gain traffic delineators, and the sidewalk at its perimeter will be painted. Two bike racks will be installed nearby. (2022)
  • Rochester Hills: City of Rochester Hills
    Grant funds will provide for an intergenerational outdoor exercise space to include equipment, a water fountain and benches. (2018)
  • St. Louis: Veterans Heroes Center
    This project will provide Wi-Fi access and establish a computer lab with a printer, tables and chairs for military veterans and their families. (2023)
  • Sterling Heights: Chaldean Community Foundation
    This project will provide classes for caregivers with limited English skills to teach them about financial literacy and self-care, as well as provide budget-friendly cooking tips. (2023)
  • Wayne: Wayne Main Street 
    An underutilized alleyway owned by the city was transformed into a gathering and event space. Video (2017)
  • Statewide: League of Michigan Bicyclists
    Communities throughout the state will have access to a lending library of bike safety items, including separators for protected bike lanes and curb extenders for use in piloting and testing local infrastructure improvements. (2021)

  • Alexandria: Cycling Without Age Alexandria
    The organization, which pairs volunteer pilots with older adults and people with restricted mobility for bike rides, will purchase two specialized three-wheel bikes, known as trishaws.  (2023)
  • Burnsville: City of Burnsville
    This grant will help to install vibrant crosswalks and pedestrian safety measures at an intersection identified by the community as needing improvements. (2018)
  • Duluth: Duluth Age-Friendly and Ecolibrium3
    Teams of participants will design solutions that will make the city more age friendly. Areas of focus will include housing, transportation and more. (2022)
  • Duluth: Community Action Duluth
    This project will invite older adults to become vibrant participants in Duluth’s farmers markets and mobile grocery program by increasing opportunities to connect through volunteering, community visioning and intergenerational play. (2023)
  • Duluth: Ecolibrium3(Eco3)
    This project will engage older adult volunteers to help create an inclusive intergenerational space for social activities on the site of a former urban college farm. Capacity-Building Microgrant (2023)
  • Duluth: Lincoln Park Resource Center
    The Center will improve the accessibility of a community garden by installing safe walkways, ramps, handrails and benches so community members can use the garden plots to grow healthy food, get exercise and host social events. (2023)
  • Falcon Heights: Philando Castile Peace Garden Committee
    This project will provide groundbreaking, garden enhancement, soil testing and a foundational level of planting and pathway creation for a new public space and peace garden, created to memorialize Philando Castile and unify and restore the community. Video (2020)
  • Friendship Park: Family Service Rochester 
    A pocket park in a diverse, low-income, multigenerational neighborhood will be improved by new trees, seating and a multilingual information kiosk. (2021)
  • Grand Rapids: Get Fit Itasca and Itasca County Family YMCA
    This project will create a focal point for pedestrian use of a river bank near downtown by installing public art, a map kiosk, and benches to encourage socialization and connection among people of all ages and abilities. (2019)
  • Hibbing: Hibbing Farmers Market
    This project will provide sheltered seating at a market entrance and help older adults by providing them with a weekly supply of fresh fruits and vegetables through the Senior Power of Produce program. (2021)
  • Luverne: Project Food Forest
    Improvements will be made to the Prairie Ally Outdoor Center by adding three commissioned sculptural trellises to the whole food forest and two circular picnic tables, allowing for people across generations to explore, sit and connect and enjoy nature. (2020)
  • Madison: The Madison Mercantile
    This project will provide access to digital devices, including training and troubleshooting, to ensure older adults living in the rural community maximize their digital literacy. (2023) 
  • McLeod County: Mid-Minnesota Development Commission
    Transit tokens will be distributed to older adults and disabled people in residential facilities, and childcare providers will receive passes allowing them to take children in their care to such facilities, promoting intergenerational contact.
  • Minneapolis: Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota
    This grant will provide support to deliver a mobile workshop in eight communities across Minnesota designed to help community leaders make their neighborhoods more accessible and bikeable. (2018)
  • Minneapolis: City of Minneapolis
    The network of “mobility hubs” — spots around town that aid travelers — will be bolstered with improved signage and seating, and local ambassadors will be hired to educate residents about their use. (2022)
  • Minneapolis: Mill City Church and IMBY MN Project
    A showcase accessory dwelling unit will be built and a multimedia campaign explaining the benefits of this compact housing type will be produced. (2022)
  • New Ulm: Downtown Action Team/Minnesota Main Street
    This grant will enable the installation of two benches — each featuring historical information — and a table to foster connectivity and social interaction in the historic downtown and add stops to a self-guided walking tour of the area. (2018)
  • Northfield: FiftyNorth and Age-friendly Northfield
    To encourage attendance by older adults and people with mobility challenges, this project will improve access to the city's numerous outdoor events by providing seating positioned and reserved specifically for seniors and handicapped individuals. (2019)
  • Princeton: City of Princeton
    The Bike Assist Program will offer an electric hybrid cargo bike to families for a wider variety of transportation opportunities. (2022)
  • Saint Peter: Point to Place
    This project will convert a vacant lot into a downtown plaza and community event space, providing a gathering place for residents and visitors.(2023)
  • St. Paul: Department of Public Works 
    The city made crosswalks more visible to roadway users by adding art and creative features and installed, for demonstration purposes, temporary pedestrian safety elements to improve walkability. (2017)
  • St. Paul: District 1 Community Council
    Funding will be used to beautify recently installed traffic circles with gardens to accompany pedestrian and bicycle improvements. (2018)
  • St. Paul: District 6 Planning Council 
    Permanent message centers, used to display multilingual community and events information, were installed along the Rice Street corridor in the North End (2017)
  • St. Paul: District 6 Planning Council
    Benches with art embedded in them will be installed for visitors to enjoy the Trout Brook Nature Sanctuary better and have a place to rest, enjoy the outdoors and have social connections. (2020)
  • St. Paul: East Side Freedom Library
    A diverse collection of people will be engaged to help improve housing in the community and learn how to address the policies, economics and systems through which the housing crisis was constructed. (2020)
  • St. Paul: Hamline Midway Coalition
    This project will create an improved pedestrian path buffered by raised planters, enhancing pedestrian accessibility and safety for residents and shoppers reliant on walking and transit. (2019)
  • St. Paul: St. Anthony Park Community Council
    Artistic benches, a mural and creative crosswalks will be installed to connect underserved residents (many of whom are older adults, people with disabilities or people of color) along the shortest path to a light rail station. (2021)
  • Shakopee: City of Shakopee
    A thriving community garden needs to be moved from its current location due to a new development. This project will allow the city to convert a vacant lot into a more centrally located and accessible space. (2021)
  • Twin Cities region: Hearts & Hammers
    Homes of low-income owners will be rehabbed, including weatherstripping; the construction of accessibility ramps, stairs and walkways; and landscaping or yard renewal. (2022)
  • Vergas: Veterans Memorial Park
    Three-quarters of an acre of city-owned land will be turned into a veterans memorial with full ADA compliance. (2022)
  • Wadena County and the cities of Brainerd, Cass Lake, Little Falls and Long Prairie: Region Five Development Commission
    Transit passes, transit training and memberships to a health and wellness center will be provided to 50 low-income seniors, veterans and members of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. (2021)

  • Greenwood: Girls Club & Learning Center, Inc.
    This project will conduct walk audits and host two community meetings with participants, residents and local business owners to discuss the findings. Capacity-Building Microgrant  (2023)
  • Greenville: Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church
    A community garden that supplies fresh produce to low and moderate-income families will receive new fencing, and hoop houses so produce can be grown year-round. (2020)
  • Gulfport: City of Gulfport
    The grant was used to create Bark Park on an acre of property at the new Brickyard Bayou Park, which is located in a part of the city that was devastated during Hurricane Katrina. [WWL] Video (2017)
  • Gulfport: City of Gulfport, Economic Development Department
    Funding will be used to create an outdoor interactive classroom with nature trails, educational play structures and a small amphitheater in a new park located in a low-income area that was struck by Hurricane Katrina. (2018)
  • Gulfport: City of Gulfport
    This project will add a safe weather pavilion and benches at a new bike trail system in Brickyard Bayou Park which is an area being revitalized since it was ravaged by flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. (2019)
  • Hattiesburg: Hattiesburg Landmark Preservation, Inc. (no website)
    This project will make culturally enriching improvements to Duncan Lake Park in Downtown Hattiesburg by painting a mural on the recreation building, restoring seating and providing free arts programming.  (2021)
  • Hattiesburg: Hattiesburg Landmark Preservation
    At a public school/park, AARP funds will contribute to improvements in the basketball court, the addition of four age-friendly benches at a walking track and two murals. (2022)
  • Jackson: City of Jackson
    The City of Jackson will use Open Streets design practices to engage residents of the downtown community by activating new public spaces for people of all ages to interact with each other. Designing a parklet with a large mural backdrop and ground mural for safe crossing will enhance public safety by improving pedestrian accessibility. (2019) Video
  • Jackson: City of Jackson
    Grant money will be used to install pedestrian-oriented infrastructure, such as seating, bike storage, planters and more to make the area safer and better connect a three block area in the downtown. (2018)
  • Jackson: Mississippi Faith Based Coalition and Community Renewal 
    Overgrown vacant lots in a neighborhood will be turned into community gardens, and walking parks featuring benches and public art and residents will also be provided with paint and pressure washing services to restore the beauty of their older homes. Photo Album (2020)
  • Jackson: Jackson Heart Foundation
    Challenge funds will be used to design, develop and implement an accessible wayfinding system for Jackson’s new multiuse trail corridor. (2021)
  • Macon: Noxubee County Historical Society
    The Macon Welcome Center will become a fully functional community center with the addition of computers, food prep equipment, audio video equipment and the hiring of several staff members. (2022)
  • Oakland: Oakland Area Chamber of Commerce
    This project will improve the area around a senior center by adding a decorative mural, building a pickleball court and adding a pocket park with benches and raised flower beds. (2023)
  • Pass Christian: City of Pass Christian
    The project will add pickleball courts to the city’s main park and recreation area, providing a popular amenity to older adults and people of all ages.  
  • Starkville: Keep Starkville Beautiful
    This beautification project will make improvements and repairs to a busy transportation corridor through middle Starkville, enhancing pedestrian safety and overall experience along this travel route. (2019)
  • Waynesboro: Waynesboro — Wayne County Library
    The library will purchase 11 GrandPads, a tablet designed for older adults; they will then be available for checking out, just like books. Computer classes will also be offered, and a special staff member will provide tech support. (2022)

  • Columbia: PedNet Coalition
    Traffic calming demonstrations will address many of the infrastructure gaps that undermine the safety of pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users. A lending library of street safety supplies will be created for use during future "pop-up" projects. (2021) 
  • East St. Louis: Citizens for Modern Transit 
    Grant funds will be used to transform a transit station into an active space that promotes bus and light-rail use, supports creative play and celebrates the history and culture of East St. Louis. (2021)
  • Kansas City: Blue Hills Neighborhood Association
    Four commercial grade dusk-to-dawn solar lights will illuminate an ADA-compliant path in a pocket park to enhance safety, walkability and accessibility for community residents. (2020)
  • Kansas City: Marlborough Community Coalition
    A two-mile sidewalk will be enhanced with new bike racks and benches to meet community needs during COVID-19. The project also includes activities to engage residents with free programs that will provide cleaning/personal items and fresh food. (2020)
  • Kansas City: BetterBlockKC
    As part of the city's broader Complete Streets efforts, this grant will fund the installation of an enhanced crosswalk, parking, protected bike lanes and floating bus stops to promote safety and more pedestrian activity along Oak Street. Video (2018)
  • Kansas City: Midtown KC Now
    This project will completely refresh and overhaul Major Murray Davis Park by working with residents to identify and complete park improvements. (2021)
  • Raymore: City of Raymore
    Through this grant, a new paved and stamped crosswalk will be added on Municipal Circle to improve safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists, and increase connectivity between nearby civic buildings. (2018)
  • Raytown: Raytown Chamber of Commerce Building Foundation, Inc.
    This project will provide amenities to encourage residents of all ages to use the Rock Island Trail by developing interactive areas for residents to rest, engage in bicycle maintenance, hydrate, and procure useful, relevant information about the community. (2019)
  • St. Louis: East Loop CID
    Funding will help build and creatively paint two crosswalks on a prominent boulevard where there are long stretches with no designated pedestrian crossings. (2022)
  • St. Louis County: Citizens for Modern Transit
    Accessible seating, a UV-protective shade and a mural examining local history will be installed at the North Hanley Transit Center. (2022)
  • St. Louis: Good Journey
    Two areas designed for peaceful reflection will be built within a community garden — one with a wooden arbor and vining fruit, the other with a fountain and Zimbabwean sculpture. Both will include seating. (2022)
  • St. Louis: STL Village
    A garden will be restored to serve as a gathering place and provide residents with opportunities to volunteer by repairing and painting garden beds, adding new trees and plants, a bike rack, Artscape and pergola with benches. (2020)
  • St. Louis: Trailnet
    Grant funds will be used to alter a closed portion of Laclede Avenue to install a "parklet" with public seating, placemaking, and planters. These improvements will shorten the crossing distance for pedestrians, offer a safe resting place for cyclists, and create a new, inviting public space for customers and visitors. (2019)
  • St. Louis: South Grand Community Improvement District
    This project will build a bus shelter, incorporating seating and a decorative planter box filled with native plants, which will add to the vitality of the business district and improve a transit stop frequently used by older adults. (2023)
  • Springfield: SeniorAge Agency on Aging
    This project will provide disaster preparedness kits and safety presentations to older residents in southwest Missouri. (2023)
  • Warrensburg: Warrensburg Main Street 
    A downtown alley will be activated and improved by volunteers who will install lighting, new seating, flowers and planters, public art and enhanced safety to become a vibrant public space. Photo Album (2020)
  • Webb City: Joplin Trails Coalition
    A cement ramp leading to the Frisco Trail will be built along with infrastructure to help people of all abilities enjoy the trail and cross the adjacent road.  (2022)

  • Anaconda: Anaconda-Deer Lodge County
    This project will allow the purchase of ADA-compliant accessible picnic tables with attached benches enhancing the dining experience of senior residents, enriching their event experience through socialization. (2019)
  • Arlee: Arlee Community Development Corporation
    This project will improve a community park and garden by adding benches and picnic tables so older residents have a place to sit and socialize. (2023)
  • Billings: Adult Resource Alliance with Age-Friendly Billings
    This project will add signage to Lillis Park that will encourage older adults to pursue their walking and exercise goals. (2023)
  • Bozeman: Human Resource Development Council of District IX 
    New and existing public transportation routes will be showcased for the community through a pop-up project which will install temporary doors placed at various bus stops in the city to enable residents to visualize new/adjusted transit routes. (2020)
  • Bozeman: Western Transportation Institute
    A traffic calming project — including improvements to pedestrian crossings, curb extensions and traffic circles — will offer an opportunity for continued engagement with neighborhood groups to optimize designs that make their streets friendlier for all. (2019)
  • Browning: Blackfeet Eagle Shield Center
    This grant will provide for fencing, trees, flowers and canopy swings in order to create an outdoor space that can facilitate story-telling and socializing on Blackfeet Native American tribal land. (2018)
  • Cascade: Town of Cascade
    An ADA-compliant picnic and walled sitting area tables, flower planters and a flag pole will be created for all generations and abilities to enjoy. (2020)
  • Cut Bank: City of Cut Bank
    An underused dog park will receive a walking path, ADA-compliant benches and two shade structures. Article (2022)
  • Deer Lodge: Powell County Parks 
    Grant funds were used to connect the commercial district that includes the Deer Lodge Medical Center with parks and residential neighborhoods. (2017)
  • Great Falls: YWCA Great Falls
    Challenge funds will support educational opportunities and resources for businesses, civic groups and nonprofits dedicated to social equity and inclusion. (2021)
  • Hamilton: City of Hamilton
    This project will improve safety for road users by installing three neighborhood traffic circles in historic residential areas. It will also develop and implement pop-up traffic calming strategies on a local street. (2023)
  • Helena: Bike Walk Montana
    This grant will fund a transportable demonstration kit to educate people about bicycle lanes, parklets, roundabouts, crosswalks and other transportation safety initiatives. (2018)
  • Helena: The Myrna Loy
    A community-driven project will enliven an underserved neighborhood with artistic benches, lighting, planter boxes, bicycle racks and public art. (2021)
  • Missoula: City of Missoula-Missoula Transportation Planning
    This project will help create an accessible public gathering space with parklets, seating, art, bike parking and curb extensions along with temporary safety installations at busy intersections. (2020)
  • Missoula: Missoula County 
    The funding was used to show how pedestrian-oriented infrastructure improves public safety, creates a sense of place and provides opportunities for people to gather and interact. (2017)
  • Missoula: Missoula Parks & Recreation
    Grant funds will be used to improve public health in the city by supporting the Rx Trails Program with new signage, mile markers, benches and maps. (2018)
  • Missoula: Montana State Parks Foundation
    By adding a new ADA-compliant covering for the entrance to a cave maintained by the state park system, this project will expand guided recreation to people with physical disabilities who have traditionally been left out of caving, spelunking, and speleology activities. (2019)
  • Ravalli County: Cultivating Connections Montana
    Older adults will serve as hosts of community gardens in their own yards or elsewhere. Teen volunteers will maintain the gardens, with hosts doing the watering and receiving a share of the produce. The rest will be donated. (2022)
  • Roundup: Roundup Community Partners
    Volunteers will install benches and tables along Main Street and at a new welcome plaza. (2021)
  • Three Forks: Headwaters Trail System
    A new loop trail with connections to existing infrastructure will be constructed to provide a walkable and bicycle-friendly way for people to enjoy the outdoors. (2020)
  • Three Forks: Headwaters Trail System
    This project will provide three pieces of exercise equipment along a walking loop, which is frequently used by older residents. (2023)

More AARP Community Challenge Grantees by State

More About the AARP Community Challenge

Updated June 2022

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