Maine's 2023
AARP Community Challenge Grant Winners

Berwick for a Lifetime, along with the Berwick Public Library, won $2,700 to expand their community garden by adding three elevated beds. A walkway around the new area was added - including a comfortable, new bench where visitors and gardeners can sit, rest, and admire their space.

The Blue Hill Heritage Trust received $12,000 to create an accessible path, a viewing platform, and new shoreline access. This new path encourages the health and well-being of all people with barriers to access. With the help of their Advisory Committee (which includes people living with disabilities), The Trust strives to offer an enjoyable, diverse experience on their accessible trails. This is  the first project that creates access to the shoreline.

Age-Friendly Bowdoinham was given $8,240 to work with Alpha One to develop and promote a guide to help implement Universal Design principles in new and existing housing. This project meets immediate needs by providing a resource to help homeowners implement solutions that will make their home more comfortable. New homes can now be designed and built incorporating these principles.

Age-Friendly Caribou, along with Cary Medical Center and the Elder Abuse Institute of Maine, was awarded $5,500 to create a multimedia toolkit to help spark creative approaches to raise awareness of elder abuse. The guide will also explore the complicated issues of self-neglect and the rights of people to live life in the ways they want.

Age-Friendly Chelsea was granted $2,700 to start an accessible community garden at their elementary school. Working with the school, Age-Friendly Chelsea will install raised beds and a bench for people to rest and enjoy the garden. The team will bring together students at the school with older residents to create an intergenerational garden club which will maintain the garden in summer.

Friends of Congress Square Park in Portland received $1000 to start a badminton league, host disc golf practice sessions, and bring people together for board-game events. The free programming will allow people of all income levels to participate in their community, access social connections, and enjoy the fun of individual and league play with their neighbors.

Friends of Long Island Wellness Council was granted $4,713 to purchase a beach wheelchair that will enable people to access and navigate the island’s beaches and even go into the water if they would like. The project allows residents and visitors alike to access the wheelchair and fully engage in summer fun.

Age-Friendly Millinocket, along with their library, was given $8,000 to install solar-powered lighting on the Michaud Trail, a popular walking trail in town. The grant builds on a number of community projects that have encouraged people to walk in the downtown area. The new lights will allow people to walk safely early in the morning or after work. 

Age-Friendly Saco received a grant of $46,000 to pilot a regional micro-transit system. They partnered with several regional transportation providers to propose an on-demand shuttle bus program that will serve older residents Biddeford, Saco, and Old Orchard Beach so that they can gain easy, convenient, affordable access to shopping and social opportunities in the tri-town area.

Age-Friendly Scarborough, along with their library, was granted $7,000, to establish a “Green Trail Network” through the municipal complex that includes city hall and the library. In addition, clear, age-friendly and dementia-friendly signage with notations of mileage traveled, will be installed,  Age-Friendly Scarborough will create maps for self-guided tours. They will also create publicity that celebrates this and other green initiatives in their town.

Age-Friendly Sullivan was awarded $3,000 to install an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) in the Sullivan Town Hall, where many town meetings and activities are held, including recreation and exercise programs, such as Bone Builders. Working with town EMTs, Age-Friendly Sullivan will train 20 residents in the safe use of the AED.

The Three Rivers Land Trust received their $8,500 grant to finance installation of benches and directional signs for the Goat Hill Trail in Acton. The project builds on previous work to make the trail accessible for all. This investment by the Trust will allow families to enjoy the trail and people with mobility limitations to use it.

Age-Friendly Windham, along with their Parks and Recreation Dept., received $10,000 to add an accessible path from the parking lot to a pavilion in the Windham Community Park. The project will also add accessible picnic tables and spur development of an accessible GRACE trail that will provide people with the opportunity for quiet reflection and a meditative walk.

In addition to the Challenge Grants, AARP Maine has sponsored several other projects that advance its mission. And here are the 2023 recipients:

Danforth Livable Communities welcomed  a $8,750 sponsorship to replace a derelict ramp with a new, ADA-compliant one that will withstand the fury of Maine winters. Now, all entrances to the building will be fully accessible!

Age-Friendly Presque Isle, partnering with the Presque Isle Historic Society, received a $1,975 sponsorship to fund three outdoor concerts in the Estey Garden pocket park.

Age-Friendly South Portland, along with the library, was granted $800 to expand their Dementia Inclusive materials, such as books, puzzles, and memory kits. To learn more about Dementia Inclusion, click here.

Wayne Aging at Home accepted a $3,200 sponsorship to provide 40 power banks for older residents. Rural Maine experiences unpredictable power outages. These power banks will allow residents the ability  to use cell phones and computers when the power goes out.