Local Resources

(Ridgeland, MS) — The city of Gulfport has won the AARP Community Challenge, which aims to create change and improve quality of life at the community level. Gulfport won for its proposal to develop a Bark Park. Each winning project throughout the nation was partially or fully funded through the AARP Community Challenge grant and is set to be completed by November 1, 2017.

AARP Connecticut members can save money and support local, nonprofit educational and cultural venues throughout the year, including Mystic Seaport, the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929 to gather and preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America’s seafaring past, the Museum has grown to become a national center for research and education with the mission to “inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience.”

According to recent data, a couple retiring this year looks to spend an average of $275,000 on healthcare throughout the course of their retirement. Health care costs are rising faster than inflation and the overall economy, with one in five families reporting difficulty paying medical bills.

In fall 2016, The University of Connecticut Nonprofit Leadership Program successfully launched Encore!Fairfield County. The program created an opportunity for more Connecticut residents to participate in the Department of Public Policy’s award-winning program providing professionals age 50 and older in the state with a prestigious development experience assisting with a transition from a corporate career to one in the nonprofit sector. The Fairfield County offering is modeled after Encore!Hartford, entering into its eighth year and holds an impressive track record with 91% of participants finding employment (70% full-time), and 73% of those employed landing in the nonprofit sector.

AARP Indiana has announced two winners for the AARP Community Challenge, aiming to create change and improve quality of life at the community-level. The winning organizations include the Kokomo YMCA and the Fort Wayne Active Living Coalition. Each project was fully funded through the AARP Community Challenge grant and is set to be completed by November 1, 2017.

The following article was written and submitted by Sherry Ostrout, Government Initiatives, Connecticut Community Care

Did you know how your shoes fit can keep you from falling? Find out if your shoes fit correctly and other ways to prevent falling at a special Falls Risk Screening event.

AARP Kentucky announces two winners for the AARP Community Challenge, aiming to create change and improve quality of life at the community-level. The winning projects include the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, Division of Parks and Recreation and the Western Kentucky University Center for Gerontology. Each project was fully funded through the AARP Community Challenge grant and is set to be completed by November 1, 2017.

AARP Kansas announced a winner for the AARP Community Challenge, which aims to create change and improve quality of life at the community level. The winning project is The Wichita Public Library’s launch of three historical walking tours accessible through the PocketSights app. The project was partially funded through the AARP Community Challenge grant and is set to be completed by November 1, 2017.

AARP Wyoming announced two winners for the AARP Community Challenge, aiming to create change and improve quality of life at the community-level. The winning projects include projects in Casper as well as Jackson. Both grants will be used to fund age-friendly bus stops in their respective communities.