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Age-Friendly Laramie (2023) Print
2023 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
Older adults in Laramie lacked accessible spaces for gardening and social connection. Age-Friendly Laramie transformed unused property at the Eppson Center into a welcoming garden with raised beds, a wheelchair-accessible picnic table and a storage shed. Volunteers added a colorful mural and helped plant, water and harvest herbs and vegetables for meals at the center. The garden now offers fresh produce and a safe place to gather, with plans for pathways and expanded beds. One longtime resident said gardening again "brought back memories" and gave him a sense of purpose.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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See More Projects Like This One
Kokomo, IN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Gardening tools, carts and small storage sheds will be added to multiple community garden sites. These tools will allow older volunteers to garden comfortably and stay active while helping others.
East Pittsburgh, PA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: An underused neighborhood space will be transformed into an accessible community garden. The garden will offer older adults better access to fresh food, safe outdoor activity and a place to gather and connect with others.
Wichita, KS
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: In an urban neighborhood with limited access to fresh food, uneven paths and traditional garden beds made it difficult for residents with mobility challenges to take part in community gardening. Older adults and others with injuries or physical limitations were especially affected. Riverside Garden improved access by adding stable walkways, accessible pads and raised garden beds designed for people who need to sit or use wheelchairs, along with ergonomic tools that reduce strain. These changes allowed more residents to garden safely and participate in events at the site. One gardener shared that after ankle, foot and knee injuries made bending painful, the new raised beds allowed her to continue gardening and stay connected to the community. The improvements expanded who could use the space and strengthened the garden's role as a shared, inclusive gathering place.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Laramie, WY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Food insecurity is high in Laramie, with many residents lacking access to healthy, fresh produce. To increase food access, Action Resources International created a community garden. They considered the needs of older adults and people with mobility challenges when designing the space, adding accessible, raised garden beds onsite. The beds allow people in wheelchairs -- as well as those who find kneeling uncomfortable -- to tend to the plots. Project organizers hope the new garden provides learning opportunities for West Laramie residents and helps ease reliance on processed food.
Laramie, WY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Micromobility enhancements/management
Description: For many older adults in Wyoming, getting outdoors felt out of reach-until a new trishaw rolled into town. Miles of Smiles purchased an electric-assisted trishaw, trained volunteer pilots age 50-plus and began offering rides at local facilities. The experience quickly became a highlight, with passengers scheduling weeks ahead and volunteers calling it "extremely rewarding." One 96-year-old, non-verbal for months, exclaimed "Great fun!" after her first ride. The program is breaking isolation, sparking joy and proving that fresh air and human connection can transform lives.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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