Tacoma, WA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Community Gardens

Description: Many families in Tacoma struggle to access fresh, nutritious food. To allow residents to harvest vegetables in their own neighborhoods, Food is Free planted garden plots throughout the city. Organizers installed raised garden beds in residents' front yards, in tree boxes and in the public right-of-way along the city's sidewalks. Food is Free ensured the gardens met the City's code requirements. Each garden produces about 100 pounds of produce annually. Gardeners get to keep a fifth of their harvest, with the rest offered to residents during food share events held in a local park. In addition to increasing food access, project organizers say the effort helped participants -- including older adults -- become more engaged with one another.

Naknek, AK

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Community Gardens

Description: Shipping delays left Naknek residents without reliable fresh produce, prompting elders to seek space to teach gardening traditions. The center installed raised beds and ADA-compliant benches, creating a safe spot for older adults to grow food and gather with family. Volunteers built the beds and benches, and workshops will help elders share skills with younger generations. The garden now offers residents without land a way to raise vegetables while preserving cultural practices and strengthening community ties.

Lincoln, NE

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Community Gardens

Description: NeighborWorks Lincoln turned a vacant lot into a community garden. Volunteers installed fifteen raised garden beds, along with lighting and an arbor entranceway. Other improvements include walkway and seating. Residents have access to fresh produce grown onsite. In addition, project organizers recruited experienced gardeners to help beginners learn the ropes. Today, residents -- many of whom represent the area's Latino, Iraqi and Karen communities -- use the garden as a space to socialize. Locals have told NeighborWorks that they feel safer walking past the site now that it's a garden instead of an abandoned lot. And work on the garden paved the way for future projects as well. Organizers also said they worked with the City of Lincoln to work around rules restricting planting in a public right-of-way, which helped make future gardening plans feasible.