BOWDOINHAM

The town of Bowdoinham is among four winners of the AARP Community Challenge, a competition for community projects aimed at creating change and improving quality of life.

The winning projects were submitted by the “age-friendly” communities of Bethel, Bowdoinham, North Yarmouth and Wayne. Each project was partially or fully funded through the AARP Community Challenge grant and is set to be completed by Nov. 1.

Age-friendly Bowdoinham is starting a garden club as part of a larger project to engage isolated older residents, according to a press release about the awards. As part of the project, a community garden will hold elevated and vertical planting beds for use by a monthly gardening club for residents who frequent the town’s food pantry.

All of the winning projects will deliver on one or all of the following:

• Improve social connections through the built environment, benefiting people of all ages and abilities in the community.

• Expand opportunities for all residents, such as job, volunteer and educational/training opportunities.

• Drive inclusive community engagement and interaction across a diverse population.

“In an age-friendly community, residents benefit from an environment that encourages them to remain active and socially engaged,” said Lori Parham, AARP Maine state director. “The AARP Network of Age- Friendly Communities helps participating communities become great places for all ages by adopting such features as safe, walkable streets, better housing and transportation options, access to key services and opportunities for residents to participate in community activities.”

The other winners include:

• Age-Friendly Community Initiative (Bethel-Gilead- Greenwood-Newry-Woodstock), establishing a threepart program to educate and support home safety programs to prevent falls and improve fire safety, and offer home tool kits to support aging in place.

• Wayne Aging at Home, installing blinker and crosswalk signs to address pedestrian safety concerns.

• Living Well in North Yarmouth, designing rapid-entry systems that will allow fire departments and property owners access to select residences — homes of those 50 and older, or with special needs — in the event of an emergency.

“Great communities require careful planning and time,” said AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer Nancy LeaMond. “These quick action projects will give community leaders the motivation and momentum to create greater change.”

In 2014, Bowdoinham was the first municipality in northern New England to be accepted as a member of the World Health Organization- Global Network of Age- Friendly Cities and Communities and helped the organization develop indicators communities can use to measure progress toward making their communities more age-friendly. The town is a member of the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities and its Advisory Committee on Aging advises the Bowdoinham Board of Selectmen about ways to make the community more aging friendly.

For a complete list of the winners and projects, visit aarp.org/CommunityChallenge.