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Kihei, HI

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Community Gardens

Description: Central Maui faces high food costs and limited access to local produce, leaving many residents concerned about rising grocery bills and few places to learn sustainable growing practices. Grow Some Good expanded the Na Mala Kaiaulu agroforest by planting fruit trees and native plants, adding ADA benches and hosting workshops for adults age 50-plus that blended cultural knowledge with gardening skills. Volunteers helped guide planting decisions and shape programming. As the canopy grows, the space will offer more shade and produce, helping households facing food insecurity. One participant said the farm provides a healing place that strengthens family resilience.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.

Baltimore, MD

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Community Gardens

Description: Older adults in a Baltimore's North Avenue neighborhood needed an accessible place to gather. The project transformed the Red Shed garden with a concrete ADA walkway, a pergola for shade and lighting and spaces for community mosaics. Volunteers created a welcoming event area that now hosts gatherings and cultural celebrations. One participant said, "It means the world to me to be part of building this. We have helped our neighborhood and made something beautiful!"

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.

Sheridan, WY

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Community Gardens

Description: Veterans at the Sheridan VA struggled to access a therapeutic garden because uneven terrain and heat made gardening unsafe for those with mobility challenges. The project installed more than 500 feet of ADA-compliant concrete paths, raised beds at accessible heights and a retractable shade system. Volunteers and VA staff also hosted workshops and a garden symposium to engage veterans. These upgrades created a fully accessible space that supports physical activity, mental health and food security, ensuring older veterans can garden safely for years to come. One participant, who is a veteran, said that he didn't realize how much he would love gardening, and now has a passion for it.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

Chickasha, OK

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: As part of wider efforts to revitalize Chickasha's downtown, the Chickasha Economic Development Council made several streetscape improvements. To increase foot traffic to local businesses, volunteers decorated crosswalks with pavement art and created a mural. They also installed benches and bike tracks. The branding effort is meant to redefine the town's commercial district and connect it with the surrounding neighborhoods. Project organizers hope to build on the improvements in the future, adding additional public art and pedestrian infrastructure.

Carnegie, OK

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions

Description: The Kiowa Tribe will host a Tiny Home for Elders Design Competition to develop affordable, accessible, and culturally relevant housing for older adults. This initiative aims to generate innovative housing solutions that support aging in place and older adult well-being, while reflecting Kiowa traditions.

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