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Dillard University Community Relations (2022) Print
2022 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
This project created a community garden with twenty raised-bed garden boxes. Dillard University Community Relations also held six healthy-cooking demonstrations and four health fairs.
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Grand Rapids, MI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Long Michigan winters left older adults at Reflections Apartments isolated and unable to garden, a key source of connection and activity. Dwelling Place built an ADA-compliant greenhouse through five volunteer events, engaging many community members and local partners. The space extends the growing season and supports a seed-starting program led by residents. Older adults now plan to grow culturally relevant vegetables and share stories tied to gardening traditions, turning the greenhouse into a year-round hub for wellness and social connection.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Woodbury, MN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: To address the lack of gardening space for residents in apartments and facilities for older adults, the community garden expanded from 48 to 96 plots and added 35 raised beds plus 12 ADA-compliant wheelchair-accessible beds. Volunteers, including an Eagle Scout, built the beds, and educational sessions engaged older adults and others in the community. The garden now promotes healthy eating, mental well-being and social ties, with over 120 pounds of produce being donated to a local food shelf. One gardener called the raised beds "a perfect solution" for older adults and people with disabilities. She shared her excitement about growing vegetables again.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Camp Hill, AL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Camp Hill residents lacked access to fresh produce and safe spaces for exercise, leaving many older adults in a food desert. The foundation responded by building raised beds for a fall garden, installing fencing and creating a one-mile asphalt walking path. Volunteers planted greens that fed more than 200 people and added signage to make the space inviting. The project now serves as a permanent resource for healthy living and sparked plans for composting, marketing produce and adding a hoop house for year-round growing.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
New Orleans, LA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Description: Older adults at the Estates community lacked a reliable place to learn practical skills, access health guidance and connect with neighbors, which contributed to missed services and social isolation. The Housing Authority of New Orleans renovated and reopened the community center, adding a computer lab, new furnishings and flexible space for classes and gatherings. The center began hosting healthy cooking demonstrations and prepared the space for digital literacy training, with resident support staff on site. The space quickly became a hub for meetings and activities, with plans for movie nights, bingo and intergenerational programs. A resident leader said she was happy with the space and plans to bring residents together, highlighting its role in supporting learning, connection and aging in place.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
New Orleans, LA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public or private transit access
Description: This project will engage local older adults to ensure their needs are considered in efforts to redesign several bus shelters across the city. The Committee seeks to make public transit accessible, safe, comfortable and climate-resilient for people of all ages.
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