Bringing Seniors, Teens, and the Unhoused Together

Fayetteville, Arkansas, has experienced tremendous growth in recent years, and alongside that growth has been an influx of unhoused people, many of whom find temporary shelter in the city’s parks. While communities all over the country face similar challenges, the Fayetteville Parks, Natural Resources, and Cultural Affairs Department (Fayetteville Parks) found a way to offer the unhoused population living at Walker Park resources, dignity, and genuine community while bringing seniors and teens together.

Their work has connected not only these three groups, but an entire neighborhood.

Bridging the Gap

Fayetteville Parks saw a series of challenges and, in turn, opportunities. The agency didn’t have any programming at Walker Park geared towards teens and young adults, groups that report higher rates of loneliness and isolation than their older counterparts. Local staff recognized the need for youth engagement and wanted to create opportunities for young people to engage with their community. Any old program wasn’t going to do; they wanted to create something intentional, fun, and meaningful to everyone involved.

Who else did they know that was isolated? Seniors. Parks staff wondered: Why not bring them together? So they did. Fayetteville Parks turned to the Yvonne Richardson Community Center and the Walker Park Senior Activity Center to create a joint program called Bridging the Gap.

One priority was creating spaces for social time between the two groups. What could they teach each other? What might happen if they interact more? But Fayetteville Parks saw another opportunity, too.

The number of individuals experiencing homelessness who spend their days at Walker Park was growing, and park maintenance was an ongoing challenge. This unhoused community was isolated, and often ostracized. People avoided the park. Crime and drugs were an issue. Folks had written the park off.

So, as seniors and teens came together, Fayetteville Parks decided to give the group a shared goal: connect and engage with the houseless community in Walker Park. What’s happened since is nothing short of amazing.

First, seniors and teens were connected. Almost immediately, the two groups found themselves line dancing and playing pickleball and card games together through the programming offered by Fayetteville Parks staff. The seniors loved the interaction and the teens were surprised to find they had some healthy competition.

These relationships served as a jumping-off point for broader community connections once they began running events together at Walker Park. Each group saw the power of coming together, which expanded the potential for Walker Park to be a place of true belonging for the whole community.

Chicken and Chess

As Bridging the Gap started holding events in the park, everyone—teen, senior, unhoused—was able to recognize the humanity they all share. Slowly over time, more and more social service providers started showing up for events, including those offering health and dental screenings, clothing, and even pet food. As the homeless population requested, no one was there to just give handouts, they were there to build connection.

One such connection: good food. While making this program come to life, Fayetteville Parks staff made a point to listen to the unique needs of each group. What they heard loud and clear was that nobody wanted boring, typical food or stuffy activities. Turns out, they all love chicken.

Making delicious food a priority has proven a core aspect of the program, not just because Arkansas has the highest prevalence of food insecurity in the country. It has also fostered relationships as everyone eats together and enjoys food that relates to Fayetteville and the broader region’s cultural connection to traditional southern fare.

The real fun began when they finished eating. Some played cornhole, others started a kickball game. But more often than not, Mr. John—who has experienced homelessness for decades— invited brave opponents to play chess, or taught those who were interested.

Walker Park: the Common Ground

Bridging the Gap hasn’t just given the houseless meals, or put seniors and teens in a room together. It transformed an existing public space into a gathering point for the community to foster genuine, unique, and enduring relationships. Beyond just the participants, the program has brought awareness and empathy for the very real individuals experiencing homelessness in Walker Park to the entire community.

The program was so successful that it continued beyond the pilot project. More and more of the unhoused residents are greeted by name as people come back to the park. Passersby during events are welcomed to the group, offered a chicken sandwich, and told to get in on a chess lesson. And above all else, three groups of people–with seemingly little in common–are looking out for each other.