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Community Gardens of Tucson (2021) Print
2021 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
The Blue Moon Community Garden in Tucson is located next a 17-story apartment building with hundreds of residents, many of whom are older adults. However, the garden lacked shade and amenities, including public bathrooms and benches, which discouraged potential volunteers. Community Gardens of Tucson, which manages twenty gardens across the city, installed tables, benches and pop-up shade structures. They also built raised garden beds, improved pathways and added a compostable toilet onsite. The improvements allow garden to offer more diverse programming for community members, which has led to more volunteer engagement.
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Kenai, AK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Hey gek'a, also known as the lingonberry or lowbush cranberry, is used by Alaska Native people to treat headaches, swelling, sore throats and tuberculosis and to dye mats, baskets and skin. After the installation of six raised gardening beds on the campus of the Dena'ina Wellness Center, Kenaitze Indian Tribe elders and other community members have improved access to the berries. They also grow 11 other indigenous, medicinal plants at the site, including chamomile, yarrow and stinging nettle. Each plant is tagged with its Dena'ina name, as well as its uses, enabling visitors to learn about the tribe's language and traditional knowledge.
Long Beach, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: In Long Beach, older adults lacked spaces for cultural connection in a neighborhood marked by poverty and pollution. Placemaking US built a traditional communal comal using techniques developed long ago, and hosted tortilla-making workshops where elders taught masa preparation. More than 100 participants, including local chefs and volunteers, joined intergenerational sessions that celebrated heritage and sustainability. The project created lasting programming at Rancho Los Cerritos, turning it into a hub for cultural exchange and reducing isolation. One participant shared, "I didn't realize how much I missed this until I felt the heat from the comal and smelled the fresh masa."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Tucson, AZ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Bikeability
Description: Older adults with disabilities in Southern Arizona faced barriers to exercise and recreation, limiting opportunities for health and social connection. To address this, the organization launched the Eduardo Aguirre Adaptive Cycling Center, installing storage containers and creating a wheelchair-accessible site with a fleet of adaptive bikes. More than 300 people, including 200 age 50-plus, have used the center for rides and training. Participants report renewed confidence and joy. One woman, age 72, said she now feels supported and can ride with friends again.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Tucson, AZ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Disaster Preparedness
Description: Extreme heat poses serious risks for older adults who may not know how quickly heat stress develops. The Council held two trainings where attendees learned practical ways to stay safe, including early warning signs and low-cost cooling strategies, supported by materials from county health partners and the American Red Cross. Participants said they were thrilled to gain new guidance. The effort encouraged neighbors to share tips and allowed the Council to continue distributing remaining educational materials.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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