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Center for Habitat Reconstruction (2024) Print
2024 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
An abandoned lot in Barceloneta left older adults without a safe, inclusive space for recreation and connection. The project converted the site into a community garden with ramps, picnic tables and shade structures. It also hosted monthly workshops on farming and composting. Volunteers helped install accessibility features and maintain the space. The garden now serves as a hub for learning and social interaction, promoting food security and emotional well-being. One community leader said she was grateful for a place where she could unwind and talk while being surrounded by nature, highlighting its impact on residents quality of life.
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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Newport, NH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Newport residents lacked outdoor space for gardening and socializing, especially older adults in nearby housing. To address this, the town converted an unused parcel into a community garden with fencing, ADA-compliant walkways and raised beds for 20 families. Volunteers helped prepare the site, creating a space where residents can grow food and flowers, connect with neighbors and enjoy the outdoors. Located near senior housing, the garden offers accessible opportunities for older adults and will host events and donate crops to local food programs.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Pearl City, HI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: An overgrown lot at Pearl City High School left older adults without a welcoming place to gather. Volunteers cleared one acre and built "The Haven" with raised beds, tropical orchards, a pumpkin patch, picnic areas and a deck for classes. Festivals, workdays and workshops co-led by students and older adults turned the space into a hub for connection and learning. The school created a coordinator role to sustain the garden, and partnerships are advancing solar-powered irrigation and plans for outdoor classrooms and specialized gardens. The project will help spur long-term benefits to the community.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Urbana, IL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: The City of Urbana wanted to ensure its community gardens included accessibility features, allowing people of all ages to use them. The city's Arts and Culture Program conducted a needs assessment of five gardens through the Growing Community Initiative. The assessment identified needed upgrades to ensure accessibility, such as shade, accessible seating, tool availability and public safety interventions. They then installed shade sails, tool lending libraries and ADA-compliant benches. Additionally, organizers partnered with local artists to hold a workshop to create peace poles. The public art pieces are now on display in one of Urbana's gardens, located a neighborhood that had been impacted by gun violence.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Toa Baja, PR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: This project will transform an underutilized area into a vibrant gathering spot with murals, solar LED lights, shade sails, and concrete planters.
Coamo, PR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: When a rural school closed, community groups, many of which were led by older adults, lost a safe place to meet. This contributed to limited education and social connection. Age-Friendly Coamo renovated two classrooms into multipurpose rooms by adding tables, chairs, kitchen equipment and technology. This has led to its increased use for workshops and events. The space now hosts seven organizations and offers free access for older adults to learn, connect and plan services. Leaders expect the hub to double as a resilience center during emergencies, providing food, power and medical supply storage.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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