Hartford, CT

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017

Project Category: Community Gardens

Description: KNOX rebuilt and upgraded the Hartford's Broad Street Community Garden to allow people of all ages and abilities to easily garden there. They added 22 raised garden beds, making plots more accessible to children, people with disabilities and older residents. Additionally, the organization hired a contractor to repair a garden fence and purchased a picnic table and a pergola -- a structure to create shade for gardeners. Since then, KNOX continues to create gardening opportunities for Hartford residents. The Hartford Courant reported in 2021 that KNOX manages 20 community gardens with a cumulative five acres of space. These include nearly 660 plots, each with an average size of 12 square feet.

East Providence, RI

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Community Gardens

Description: Older adults identified limited access to affordable, healthy food as an ongoing challenge, driven by transportation barriers and high rates of nutrition-related chronic illness. East Bay Community Action Program responded by creating an accessible community garden at the local Senior Center, where older adults helped shape what was grown and how the space was used. The project paired gardening with hands-on cooking demonstrations and a shared meal that used garden produce and prepared dishes. One participant wrote that they had started eating better and adding more vegetables to their diet. The garden also strengthened ties with schools and youth programs, supporting continued intergenerational involvement and establishing a lasting space for food access, learning and social connection.

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

Jacksonville, FL

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026

Project Category: Community Gardens

Description: An underused outdoor area will be transformed into an accessible community garden with raised beds and seating. Gardening spaces will encourage activity, learning and social time for older adults.