AARP Hearing Center
Gatherings, events and activities help a city, town or neighborhood become a community. That's why AARP Community Challenge grants can and have been be used to fund fun! Learn more below.
Wilmington, Delaware
PHOTOS FROM THE DELAWARE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM (GRANTEE, 2020 AARP COMMUNITY CHALLENGE)
On March 13, 2020, the Delaware Children's Museum closed its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For Grandparents Day on September 13, the museum's grandparent members and the “Grand at Heart” (those who serve in the role but aren't officially grandparents) were invited to pick up a “You’re Grand” activity bag at the museum's drive-thru. An additional 100 bags were distributed at a local community center. The family pictured in the giant log appeared on the event's announcement. The other pictured family posed with the activity bag goodies (pictured bottom left).
Atlanta, Georgia
PHOTOGRAPH FROM THE ATLANTA IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT (GRANTEE, 2021 AARP COMMUNITY CHALLENGE)
AARP Community Challenge funds helped to enhance the look and brand of Woodruff Park's free games kiosk, or "Game Cart," operated by the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District. Design students at Georgia State University developed the new identity. The decorative and equipment upgrades (art supplies are now among the offerings) helped demonstrate that investments are being made in the area's public spaces.
Bath, Maine
PHOTOGRAPH FROM AGE FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES OF THE LOWER KENNEBEC (GRANTEE, 2021 AARP COMMUNITY CHALLENGE)
Outdoor chess and checkers tables were constructed by students at the Bath Regional Career and Technical Center. Two tables and a spectator bench were installed at a new plaza on Elm Street, the other table and bench was placed in front of a nonprofit assisted living home. Game sets can be borrowed from local businesses and the library.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE PHILADELPHIA CHINATOWN DEVELOPMENT CORP. (GRANTEE, 2017 AARP COMMUNITY CHALLENGE)
Among the goals of the "Go, Go, Go: Making Our Community More Livable" project was to enable residents to build friendships — "Go outdoors. Go be creative. Go make friends" — in a linguistically and culturally accessible way. (One out of five Chinatown residents is an older adult and nearly 90 percent of those individuals have limited English proficiency.) More than 150 people ranging in age from 3 to 87 participated. Local artists served as instructors for the weekly painting classes.
Saco, Maine
PHOTOGRAPHS BY AARP FOR AGE FRIENDLY SACO (GRANTEE, 2018 AARP COMMUNITY CHALLENGE)
This coastal community has seven miles of sandy beaches. Until recently, there was no beach access for people using wheelchairs or other mobility devices. That changed thanks to the purchase and installation of three ADA-compliant beach mats. The AARP Community Challenge grant became a catalyst for a donation from the local Rotary Club to purchase a beach wheelchair (pictured) and beach walker. Lifeguards manage and loan out the accessability equipment.
- Watch a video that shows the mats in use
Millinocket, Maine
PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE TOWN OF MILLINOCKET (GRANTEE, 2020 AARP COMMUNITY CHALLENGE)
The 2020 "Katahdin Snowdown," named after nearby Mount Katahdin, was the first event hosted by the Age Friendly Millinocket committee. The 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. Watch a video of the event.
