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Emmanuel Brinklow Seventh Day Adventist (2023) Print
2023 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
Older adults in Montgomery County faced health disparities and food insecurity, with few accessible spaces for gardening and exercise. The organization added 12 raised garden beds and seating areas to its community garden, creating a space where participants grow fresh produce and connect. The garden promotes healthy eating and social ties, reducing isolation. One 97-year-old participant, unable to garden for two years due to back and knee problems, said she is "so happy and anxiously awaiting for the season to start."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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New Haven, CT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: New Haven's older adults lacked outdoor seating, leaving older adults without safe, accessible places to rest or socialize at local community centers. The department installed ADA-compliant benches at three centers and created mental health resource materials for distribution. Volunteers guided bench placement and unveiling events. The project improved accessibility, encouraged social interaction and sparked collaboration between city departments. Feedback praised the benches as "a good way to have conversation and fellowship" and "great when you are waiting for your ride."
England, AR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Ward 3 in England faced decades of neglect, leaving older adults without safe spaces for connection or activity. The Serenity Garden project transformed a vacant lot into a vibrant hub, adding a farm stand, foot-operated wash station, bike rack with a repair station, shade structures and murals. Accessible paths and fitness signage made gardening and exercise achievable for residents age 50-plus. These upgrades fostered pride and inclusion. Neighbors in wheelchairs joined concerts and picked fresh produce, while murals boosted visibility and hope for renewal. As one resident noted, the improvements made summer gatherings more enjoyable and strengthened community ties.
Albuquerque, NM
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The weekly La Familia Growers Market in the Dolores Huerta Gateway Park provides South Valley residents with locally grown produce. To support the market's role as a culturally significant gathering space, project organizers purchased tables, chairs, a storage shed and cafe-style lights. They also procured materials to construct a horno -- a traditional outdoor oven made of adobe. Since then, the market has hosted free weekly musical performances and traditional cooking workshops, as well as the La Familia Growers Market Harvest Festival, attended by more than 500 people. In addition, project organizers conducted interviews with older community members - part of an oral history project.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Silver Spring, MD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: The first season of a new community garden revealed gaps in accessibility and education for older adults and neighbors. IMPACT Silver Spring responded by offering technical assistance and hosting gardening workshops, while volunteers widened an informal path to improve access. Partnerships with local agencies strengthened the effort, creating a space for learning and connection. Plans now include drip irrigation, a food forest and produce donations, with a goal to secure funding for permanent walkways and eventually hand stewardship to the community.
Washington, DC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Genesis residents lacked a safe, inviting outdoor space, leaving older adults and families isolated. The project installed 20 resident-painted mural panels, solar lights and a welcome sign, and redesigned the patio with movable seating for performances. A fall celebration with food and music marked the transformation. "The murals look so lovely, and the lighting makes this area feel more inviting," said one resident, noting how the space now fosters pride and connection across generations.
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