See More Projects Like This One

New Orleans, LA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Community Gardens

Description: 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.

Paducah, KY

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Community Gardens

Description: Organizers with the Paducah McCracken County Senior Center wanted a community garden for low-income residents. The center addressed this need by building a garden with ADA-compliant pathways, ramps and garden beds. The new space provides older adults in the community with fresh produce, opportunities for socializing with friends and neighbors and non-strenuous physical activity.

Custer, SD

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Community Gardens

Description: After flooding destroyed the Custer Community Garden, the Custer Area Economic Development set out to relocate the beloved amenity to a new site. The organization created a new garden at a local high school, installing 16 raised beds, including wheelchair accessible and raised options to accommodate gardeners of all ability levels. Workers laid compost and mulch at the site and installed fencing to keep out foraging wildlife. The school's lunch program now has access to excess produce grown in the garden, which also provides educational programming to the community. Project organizers report that since the improvements, leaders from neighboring communities have reached out for advice for creating their own gardens.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

Indianapolis, IN

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Public or private transit access

Description: It rains more than one out of three days, on average, in Indianapolis. To give riders of the city's public transit system a more comfortable wait for the bus -- even in wet weather -- IndyGo made outfitted three bus stops with shelters. Additionally, they added sidewalk ramps and seating to make them ADA compliant, allowing people of all ages and abilities to use them.

Indianapolis, IN

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Disaster Preparedness

Description: John Boner Neighborhood Centers addressed preparedness gaps facing older adults in community housing, where limited incomes and access to supplies can increase risk during fires, power outages and extreme winter weather. The project paired practical education with direct support by distributing fire safety and winter weather kits to residents age 50 and over. Distribution events created opportunities for staff to share safety guidance, check in on wellness needs and reinforce available resources. Residents left with tools they could use immediately and information they could apply over time, strengthening confidence and independence at home. One participant described the relief of having multiple needs met in one place after receiving both safety supplies and help accessing supportive footwear, calling the experience a "blessing." The project deepened trust between residents and staff and established a foundation for continued safety outreach and preparedness programming.

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

LEARN MORE AND STAY INFORMED

Find articles and resources about making communities more livable for people of all ages

people icon

Download or order free publications from AARP Livable Communities

download icon

Sign up for the free, weekly, award-winning AARP Livable Communities eNewsletter

mail icon

Don't see your community listed?

LEARN HOW IT CAN JOIN THE NETWORK

Connect with your AARP State Office

AARP has offices in all 50 states as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

AARP Indiana State Office

One N. Capitol Avenue
Suite 1275
Indianapolis, IN 46204
United States

Phone: 866-448-3618
Fax: 317-423-2211
Email: [email protected]