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El Paseo Community Garden (2020) Print
2020 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
The El Paseo Community Garden in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood added a new gathering space, dubbed El Convivio or The Gathering. The goal of the project was to make the garden more accessible to Latino older adults living in nearby apartment buildings. Improvements to the space include an outdoor kitchen and patio with a fire pit, ADA-compliant seating, walking paths and an accessible planting station. Planters at the site were specifically designed to grow culturally relevant produce, including tomatoes, peppers, garlic and onions. The picnic area's stucco and ceramic tiles mimic designs seen in Mexican haciendas. Garden leaders partnered with nonprofit architectural firm Human Scale to involve garden members in the space's design and volunteers from the neighborhood installed the new amenities. As El Paseo's leadership finalized El Convivio, they also worked with the City of Chicago to secured additional land to expand the garden.
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AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Community Gardens
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Montclair, NJ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Community Gardens
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Columbus, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: The International Harvest Garden lacked shade and seating, leaving gardeners age 50-plus and families without a comfortable place to rest or gather. The project added a picnic table with side access for mobility aids, a shade trellis and improved walkways for easier navigation. These upgrades will support cultural events and reduce isolation, with volunteers saying the changes will make the garden "a sanctuary as well as a place of growth and education."
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Chicago, IL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Innovative home maintenance, repair and support services
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Project Category: Expansion and enhancement of transportation options
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