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Center for Healthy Aging (2021) Print
2021 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
Many of Reno's Native residents have limited access to fresh produce. To provide nutritious food to local families, the Center for Healthy Aging concerted a vacant lot into an intergenerational, indigenous community garden. The Center wanted to ensure the space was accessible and welcoming, so it installed ADA-compliant benches, raised garden beds and LED lighting in the space. Today, the garden hosts programming for people of all ages, including culinary classes, culturally relevant gardening instruction and a harvest festival.
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Montclair, NJ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Many older adults lacked outdoor spaces for gardening, limiting chances for physical activity and social connection. The project built four waist-high raised beds with wide ADA-compliant paths and fencing, installed rain barrels and signage, and launched a seven-week gardening course in partnership with Montclair Community Farms. Local scouts helped assemble the garden. Residents have expressed how thrilled they are to have this available, adding that they now have a space that fosters pride and engagement.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Boston, MA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Wakullah Street Community Garden worked to remove access barriers that limited older adults from fully using a long-standing neighborhood garden. Uneven paths, limited seating and low lighting reduced safety and shortened visits, making it harder to gather and garden. The project cleared and reoriented pathways toward shared seating areas, added lighting and prepared the site for benches, internet access and a greenhouse. Older adults volunteered alongside neighbors to shape the upgrades and plan how the space should function. Early improvements increased participation and time spent in the garden, while planned additions position the space for longer hours and resident-led activities. The work supports safer access, stronger social connection and continued use of the garden as a shared community space.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Opa-locka, FL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: For Opa-Locka residents, the closest supermarket is more than a mile away, making fresh produce in this low-income community hard to come by. The Opa-Locka Community Development Corporation conducted an extensive community engagement process to determine what kinds of fresh produce the community needed most. They then responded by planting 14 fruit trees -- as well as herbs -- in the common area of a multifamily residential development. The CDC also installed lighting, benches and other amenities in the space, allowing residents to gather there.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Reno, NV
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Accessibility of amenities
Description: Older adults in Washoe County faced isolation and limited access to nature due to mobility challenges and costly adaptive equipment. To address this, the Foundation purchased five all-terrain wheelchairs and launched an adaptive walking program, making the chairs available for free at multiple parks. A marketing campaign spread awareness, and older adults now use the chairs weekly to explore trails they once could not reach. The project sparked new partnerships and plans for more adaptive gear. One participant shared, "I didn't think I would ever see that many different species of birds again," after using a chair to enjoy birdwatching.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Reno, NV
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Digital navigation skills
Description: Older adults in Reno faced isolation and barriers to vital information because they lacked digital skills, compounded by transportation and language challenges. The city launched Senior Tech Connect classes in English and Spanish, teaching smartphone basics and advanced features like emergency contacts and medical IDs. Nearly 200 participants gained confidence, supported by bilingual volunteers and take-home materials. The program reduced isolation and boosted independence, prompting plans for expanded sessions. One participant said, "Before attending, my phone felt intimidating... now it's a tool I can enjoy," showing how digital literacy transformed daily life.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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