This August, hundreds of Grand Island, Nebraska residents are planning to gather in their streets, backyards and driveways for a community-wide summer party.
These gatherings are an ongoing community-building event for neighbors to get to know one another and is organized by Grow Grand Island, a city-wide wide coalition that joined a World Health Organization network in 2018 that aims to make communities and cities better suited for all ages and life stages.
“Strong neighborhoods make strong communities.”
“Strong neighborhoods make strong communities,” says Tonja Brown, chair of Grow Grand Island. “But it all fits with that WHO goal to create a livable community where people of all ages can go for a walk, cross the streets, ride a bike, get around without a car, life safely, work or volunteer, spend time outdoors and find the services they to need to make Grand Island a lifelong home.”
Recent data has shown that residents living in age-friendly communities and those with strong neighborhood connections have better health in comparison to those who don’t live in such communities. Grand Island is one of two age-friendly communities in Nebraska, and one of more than 700 throughout the U.S. The other Age-Friendly community is based in the state’s capitol, Lincoln. These communities have embraced the WHO age-friendly model in conjunction with the seniors group AARP, WHO’s affiliate in the U.S.
As a WHO affiliate, AARP launched its Network of Age-Friendly Communities in 2012 to work with local, regional and state governments and partner organizations on making communities more livable for people of all ages, especially older adults. WHO keys to age-friendly communities include built environments (such as buildings, streets, sidewalks, transportation networks, community facilities, public spaces) that are accessible and safe for children and older adults with varying needs and abilities.
Being part of the network has served as a framework for focusing city-wide improvement priorities of Grand Island, the state’s third largest city, known for agriculture and birdwatching. To name a few more of the benefits to residents since it joined the age-friendly program: a housing improvement partnership that improved neighborhood sidewalks to be accessible to wheelchairs and bicycles, more affordable housing, funding for home repairs for older adults and low-income residents, the creation of a new park for summer concerts in the heart of the city’s business improvement district and additional downtown street lighting.
“The WHO/AARP age-friendly network has been a kind of north star for us,” said Brown. “And it has given us access to city leaders in other communities where we can share best practices and ideas.”
“The WHO/AARP age-friendly network has been a kind of north star for us.”
It also provided inspiration and resources for the neighborhood gatherings. In 2022, Grow Grand Island received an AARP Quick Action Challenge grant to fund a ‘neighboring kit’ residents used to advertise their meet and greet events. Each year, new neighborhoods are encouraged to participate. Some gatherings have become annual events.
“It’s hard to quantify the benefits of knowing the people who live around you,” said Brown. “Just knowing you can reach out to a neighbor if you need something and knowing people who may know people that we don’t know—referrals, experiences and know-how from others, they are all ingredients of an age-friendly community.”
“It’s hard to quantify the benefits of knowing the people who live around you.”