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Good Journey (2022) Print
2022 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
Residents lacked nearby spaces for relaxation and wellness, forcing older adults to travel for peaceful outdoor areas. The project added two tranquil spaces to Bustani Ya Upenda garden: a wooden arbor with benches and a zen area with a solar fountain, lighting and sculpture. Volunteers, including older adults, helped build the spaces, which now offer calm and connection. A neighborhood leader didn't use to visit, but now visits often, saying he is impressed by the beauty created with older adults in mind.
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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Davis, WV
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: An unused section of campus offered no space for growing food or community engagement. The project transformed it into a garden with 20 raised beds and four accessible benches, successfully producing potatoes and garlic on land once used for coal mining. The garden is now a permanent feature supporting education and local agriculture, with plans to expand crops for families and the food bank. "It was incredible to see our potato harvest just a few months after planting," one participant said.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Windham, CT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Older adults in Windham had few chances for social engagement and healthy activities, leaving many isolated. The local center added raised garden beds and offered tools and weekly sessions led by a master gardener. This created an inviting space that drew new participants and expanded partnerships. The garden is now a hub for connection and learning, reducing isolation and promoting well-being. One participant said the leader's passion for organic cultivation "kindled my interest and active participation."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
St. Louis, MO
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: North St. Louis faces severe food insecurity, leaving older adults with limited access to fresh produce and safe outdoor spaces. Urban Harvest STL grew over 1,000 pounds of food at Fresh Starts Garden, donating most to programs serving older adults. The team installed accessible raised beds and picnic tables and repaired a generator to help power tools, making gardening easier for those with mobility challenges. Volunteers and apprentices age 50-plus joined in, and the season ended with a celebration of 100 community members. The garden manager said, "Gardening is very rewarding... The garden benefits the whole community because they get to see something positive going on."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
St. Louis, MO
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: STL Village partnered with volunteers from the community to restore the Lewis Place Community Garden, which had gone unplanted during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Volunteers cleared the site of overgrowth, refurbished garden beds, installed a storage shed and planted and watered vegetables, shrubs and trees. Neighborhood residents formed a garden committee charged with maintaining the site going forward. STL Village also created a resource guide for local older adults with a specific focus on services for low-income families.
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