By Alex Gonzalez, Public News Service
A Nevada nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life for elders is among the 343 organizations nationwide to receive funding for quick-action projects to make their communities more livable and vibrant.
AARP awarded the Center for Healthy Aging in Reno more than $12,000 for its plan to enhance Reno’s Paradise Park.
Marta Malone, program officer and educational director at the center, said the funds will be used to repair park infrastructure, purchase new amenities and create a safer place for seniors and young people alike to socialize, exercise and learn.
“One of the big things that this does is, we are trying to reduce the isolation, especially in older adults,” Malone pointed out. “People get more secure in their home, where they don’t want to go out and socialize anymore.”
Malone noted isolation can have a significant impact on people’s physical and mental well-being. Studies show people with access to neighborhood parks are much less likely to experience symptoms of depression or to screen positive for anxiety, compared to those who lack access to a park or green spaces.
Donna Clontz, a volunteer for AARP Nevada, said part of the money will be used for outdoor recreation activities like installing bocce ball and shuffleboard courts and a horseshoe pit to entice more community members to use the park. She added for some in the surrounding area, it had become challenging to frequent the park, where not everyone has felt safe.
“We have an elementary school right across the street as well, with kids and parents going back and forth, who are neighborhood folks, who are all somewhat afraid of our park, and they should not be,” Clontz contended. “We all wanted to put our attention there, to try and make it clean and safe again.”
Clontz observed fewer unsheltered people are frequenting the park, thanks to groups willing to provide services to help them back on their feet, although she acknowledged there is still work to be done. To further cultivate a sense of community, Clontz is part of a group of volunteers who walk in Paradise Park each Wednesday, starting at 8 a.m.
