AARP Presents Side Street Art

AARP’s Livable Communities grant program, the Community Challenge, launched in 2017 and has awarded $12.7 million through more than 1,060 grants to nonprofits and municipalities across all 50 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The program’s focus on tangible improvements and community engagement using a quick- action timeline helps grantees fast-track ideas and build support for promising solutions.

How it Started…

Weathered commercial buildings with utility wires, dumpsters, parked cars, and a gravel alley under a clear blue sky
Red Dodge Caliber parked beside a weathered stucco and brick building under a clear blue sky
Sunny urban alley with weathered brick buildings, utility poles, overhead wires, green dumpsters, and cracked concrete pavement
Sunny narrow alley between cinder-block buildings with utility poles, overhead wires, gas pipes, and a leafy tree
Sunny urban parking lot with parked SUVs, utility poles, low-rise buildings, and mountains in the background
Sunny urban alley with a weathered cinder block wall, overhead utility wires, buildings, and parked vehicles.
Gray SUV parked beside low-rise homes with rooftop equipment, utility wires, trees, and a mural under a clear blue sky.
Urban alley with brick and concrete buildings, utility pipes, a green dumpster, and an abandoned shopping cart under a clear blue sky
Sunny urban alley with low cinder-block buildings, utility poles and overhead wires, trees, dumpsters, and a parked car.
Woman in a sun hat pressure-washing the exterior wall of a building.
Woman and young boy standing outdoors beside a colorful mural, garden tree, and metal staircase.
People work in a gravel alley beside low buildings with utility poles, overhead wires, and a colorful butterfly mural.
Volunteers clean up branches outside a low concrete building beneath utility poles and a clear blue sky.
People clean up a sunny urban courtyard with trees, mural-covered walls, buildings, trash bins, and overhead utility wires.
Community cleanup volunteers beside dumpsters and a utility pole outside a cinder-block building under a clear blue sky
Volunteers clean up a city alley with a skid-steer loader, pickup truck, trash bins, and debris beneath utility poles and overhead wires.
Community cleanup volunteers gather beside a white cinder-block building, utility pole, dumpsters, and construction equipment under a clear blue sky.
People and parked cars in a sunlit urban alley lined with utility poles, overhead wires, and industrial buildings
People gathered in a sunny urban courtyard with trees, potted plants, and low-rise buildings.
People gathered outdoors beside a low concrete building and parked cars under a clear blue sky.
Smiling woman with glasses and a braid poses with a young boy wearing a blue cap and camouflage shirt against a textured wall.
People painting a colorful butterfly mural on a cinder block wall outdoors
People walking beside a large dumpster in an urban alley with utility poles and low-rise buildings
People walking beside a large green dumpster in an urban alley with utility poles and low-rise buildings.
Two workers clearing branches and debris into a large metal dumpster beside a cinder block building.
Volunteers gather around trash and recycling bins while cleaning up beside a colorful mural.
Weathered beige concrete building with a white door, rooftop equipment, utility wires, and gravel courtyard under a clear blue sky
Two workers and a teenager shovel gravel beside a yellow front-end loader outside an industrial building.
Two people at a folding table beneath a blue pop-up canopy outdoors, with promotional materials displayed.
Smiling woman with braided hair and man wearing glasses pose for a selfie outdoors under a blue sky.
Outdoor parking area with chairs, trash cans, pickup trucks, utility poles, and mountains in the background
Empty gravel alley between weathered industrial buildings under a clear blue sky
People gathered on a sunny residential street beside utility poles and low buildings
Assorted glazed donuts with chocolate, pink, vanilla, powdered sugar, and colorful sprinkles in a bakery box
Two smiling women posing together in front of a concrete block wall under a clear blue sky
Young woman in a blue North American Mission Services shirt sitting at an outdoor table beside a sports drink bottle.
Adult woman assisting a young child in a wheelchair outdoors near a building
People staffing tables under blue canopy tents at an outdoor community event between brick buildings
Two people walking beside a white building, with a man entering a doorway and a woman walking past a green dumpster.
People walking through an urban alley beside a green dumpster, utility poles, and buildings.
Backyard alley with a leafy tree, utility meters, overhead power lines, buildings, and cracked pavement under a clear blue sky
Alley behind low-rise buildings with utility poles, overhead wires, dumpsters, and a white cinder-block wall under a clear blue sky
Sunny urban alley lined with low brick buildings, utility meters, overhead power lines, trees, and garbage bins.
Alley behind low-rise buildings with utility wires, weathered brick walls, and mountains under a clear blue sky
Sunlit urban alley with stucco and cinder-block buildings, utility meters, overhead wires, trash bins, and a leafy tree.
Urban alley behind brick and concrete buildings with a green dumpster, wooden double doors, utility pipes, and a loading area.
Sunny urban alley with utility poles, tangled overhead wires, low buildings, trash bins, and yellow pavement markings.
Urban alley with low white brick buildings, butterfly mural, utility poles, overhead wires, trash bin, gas meters, and outdoor chairs.
Sunny urban alley lined with weathered stucco buildings, overhead utility wires, electrical meters, sidewalks, and trash dumpsters.
Colorful butterfly murals on white-painted brick buildings along a sunny residential alley.
Back alley with a weathered cinder block building, pink door, glass block windows, utility meters, trash bins, chairs, planters, and a rusted barrel planter.
Sunny urban alley with brick buildings, utility meters, overhead wires, parked SUV, and green dumpster
Two men use shovels beside a large excavator bucket at a utility-lined building.
Two workers dig beside a brick building with a shovel and excavator bucket, surrounded by overhead wires and utility equipment.
Two workers remove a large wasp nest from a building wall beside a yellow construction lift.
Volunteers load yard waste and equipment onto a utility trailer beside a black pickup truck and blue canopies.
People cleaning a rough residential street beside white brick buildings, utility poles, overhead wires, and a green trash bin under a clear blue sky.
Woman carrying a large piece of debris in an alley beside weathered brick and cinder-block buildings, with overhead utility wires and a bright blue sky.
Person pruning a lush fruit tree in a backyard garden beside a brick chimney, stone wall, overhead utility wires, and green trash bin.
Volunteers in red shirts clean a sidewalk beside a building using rakes and leaf blowers.
Family walking through an urban alley with a stroller, dumpsters, utility poles, and mountains in the background
Volunteers in red shirts clean grass and debris beside an urban building using rakes and a string trimmer.
Volunteers clean an urban alley beside a forklift, pickup truck, dumpsters, and industrial buildings with mountains in the background.
Three people stand beside a large utility trailer in front of a white building, with a utility pole, trees, and blue sky behind them.
Volunteers cleaning an urban alley with tools, trash bins, a trailer, and a skid-steer loader.
Volunteers clear branches from a community garden beside urban buildings.
Volunteers clearing brush and landscaping an urban alley beside brick buildings.
People gardening outside a house beneath overhead utility wires and trees.
Volunteers rake and shovel yard debris beside a tree, trash cans, and a colorful butterfly mural.
Community volunteers clean an alley beside a colorful butterfly mural using trash bins, tools, and a trailer.
Construction worker beside a wooden utility pole, dumpsters, and yellow excavators in an industrial alley under a clear blue sky
People cleaning an outdoor courtyard beside a colorful butterfly mural and leafy tree.
Community volunteers gardening in an urban courtyard beside a colorful butterfly mural
People cleaning a gravel alley beside brick buildings and utility poles on a sunny day
People cleaning beside a colorful butterfly-and-flowers mural on a building, surrounded by trees and landscaping tools.
Two people stand outside a cinder-block building beneath utility wires, with a leafy tree and blue sky overhead.
Person trimming a leafy tree with a long-handled pruning tool beside a house.
Workers in an urban alley beneath tangled utility wires and a wooden power pole, with colorful pavement markings.
Person examining utility markings in an alley beneath wooden utility poles and overhead wires
People working beside an industrial building with a backhoe, utility poles, and trash bins on a sunny day
People cleaning an outdoor alley beside buildings with a colorful butterfly mural, trees, and trash bins.
Worker in a utility alley clearing branches beneath wooden utility poles and tangled overhead wires.
Person seated behind a folding table under a blue canopy, with water bottles, supplies, chairs, and a cooler outside a building.
Community volunteers clean an urban alley beside brick buildings, with a woman sweeping near utility poles and overhead wires.
Yellow backhoe loader with an operator parked on a paved street beneath overhead utility wires.
Volunteers clean an alley beside brick buildings beneath utility poles and overhead wires.
Community volunteers gather beside brick and stone buildings, with a blue canopy tent and a person wearing a red community challenge shirt.
Workers repair a residential alley beneath overhead utility wires on a sunny day.
Volunteers gather under blue canopies beside historic brick buildings, outdoor equipment, and mountain scenery.
Woman wearing gloves and holding a shovel beside a cinder block wall on a gravel street.
Yellow backhoe loader with an operator parked on a gravel alley beside industrial buildings, utility pole, power lines, and trash bins.
Person carrying a folded chair past a colorful butterfly mural in an urban alley with utility poles, overhead wires, and a trash bin.
Backyard with cinder block walls, exposed utility wires, electrical meter, and a portable charcoal grill under a clear blue sky
Two workers carry corrugated metal sheets beside an industrial building on a sunny street.
Three people stand beside a pickup truck and utility trailer in an urban alley lined with industrial buildings.
Yellow front-end loader parked beside industrial buildings and trash bins under a blue sky with overhead utility wires.
Rear of a cinder-block building at 906 New York Avenue with utility wires, meters, vents, crates, and gravel ground.
Residential alley with utility wires, leafy trees, building exteriors, utility meters, trash bins, and a cracked paved surface under a clear blue sky

Complete!

Community ribbon-cutting celebration with a crowd gathered outdoors as colorful confetti falls beside brick buildings and a red canopy.
Group of five adults posing beneath a wooden pergola in an outdoor garden courtyard.
Two women posing in front of a colorful floral mural painted on a textured wall
Crowd gathered at an outdoor community event with a red canopy, information tables, utility poles, and raised garden planters.
Three people pose beside a colorful outdoor mural featuring a tiger, mountains, wildlife, and abstract designs.
Outdoor patio with a wooden pergola, colorful café tables and chairs, planters, and benches beside brightly painted buildings.
Community gathering in an outdoor courtyard beside a colorful floral mural, with people listening to a speaker.
People gather at an outdoor community event in a colorful urban alley with murals, picnic tables, and utility poles under a partly cloudy sky.
Community group holding an AlamoGordo Public Library fundraiser sign supporting Alamogordo MainStreet in front of a colorful mural
Six people pose beside a colorful floral mural painted on a brick wall.
Three adults and a child stand beside a vibrant outdoor mural inspired by Van Gogh’s Starry Night, featuring swirling blue skies, yellow stars, mountains, and trees.
Outdoor urban courtyard with colorful mural, wooden pergola, planters, people, and mountain views
Group of people posing in front of a colorful floral mural
Community volunteer donation booth with people, children, white T-shirts, and colorful mural walls
Woman in a beige coat kneeling beside a pink stucco wall and writing white graffiti-style text.
Two men pose outdoors beside colorful murals and a wooden patio structure under a cloudy sky.
Four people hold a sponsor sign supporting the Alamagordo MainStreet program in front of a colorful floral mural.
Four people enjoying an outdoor patio with wooden pergola, seating, planters, and string lights.

Thank you to our AMAZING sponsors.

Thanks to these sponsors and our community we have raised an additional $15,500 for this project!

Danielle Rondelez
Robert and Michelle Sheppard
Alamogordo Public Library
Showcase Carpet and Tile
Home Depot
Loco Credit Union
City Commissioner Sharon McDonald
MainGate United
Casa Toyota
Mesa Verde Aggtech
NMSU-A
French Brothers
Thrive in Southern New Mexico
TDS
Print Plus & Flower Company
Stone Electric
Elite Memories Boutique
Fraternal Order of Eagles #4101
Foxworth-Galbraith Lumber Company
Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center
Boy Scouts Troop No. 147 Post 7686
Albertsons
Welcome Home Realty
Holloman Spouses Organization
Pioneer Bank
Rocky Mountain Cannabis
Zuni Electric