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BronxWorks (2018) Print
2018 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
The Morris Community Garden had suffered years of neglect, and the abandoned site was overrun with rats. To breathe new live into the space, BronxWorks restored the garden, located near a senior center and three schools. They renamed the space Bean Morris Garden to memorialize a young man from the neighborhood. To welcome people of all ages and abilities, the nonprofit added accessible seating to the space, along with raised garden beds. Since the renovation, residents of all ages have volunteered to tend to the plots. Organizers say the amenity offers an important outdoor gathering space for the community.
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Gettysburg, SD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: This project will convert a vacant lot into a downtown community garden. Many older adult residents live in apartments that lack garden areas, so the space will allow them to cultivate home-grown produce.
South Tucson, AZ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: The Primavera Foundation improved the La Capilla neighborhood's community garden by building raised bed planters, adding ADA-compliant benches and making garden walking paths more accessible. In addition, the Foundation purchased ergonomic and adaptive tools, since the majority of residents who use the garden are older adults, often accompanied by their grandchildren. The garden improvements coincided with the City of South Tucson's Greenway Redevelopment Project, which brought public art to the neighborhood. To celebrate local residents' heritage, project organizers also installed a walking path to a mural located next to the garden. That mural -- created by student artists -- pays homage to the Yaqui and Mexican American cultures. Since this project's completion, the Foundation has made similar upgrades to another community garden.
South Coffeyville, OK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: This project will create a community vegetable garden to grow Cherokee heirloom plants. The garden will feature raised beds and seating to accommodate older residents.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Bronx, NY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The project will convert an underutilized lot into a farmers market with cooking demonstrations and essential services for older adults.
Bronx, NY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: To highlight the importance of green spaces, Friends of Mosholu Parkland cleaned up a neglected area of the parkland. The area lies along the Mosholu Parkway, a landscaped highway connecting two parks. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the gardens became a respite for community looking for a safe, outdoor gathering space. Volunteers expanded an azalea garden and revived the Jerome Garden Plaza. In addition, the organization worked with a local artist to design and install banners celebrating the Parkland. The banners played off the metaphor of an aquarium, which represented residents confined within their apartments during the COVID-19 pandemic, separated from the parkland below like fish behind a glass barrier. Project organizers say these initial improvements have since attracted additional investment in the Mosholu Parkland.
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