Harvest Family Success Center (2020) Print

star-24px 2020 AARP Community Challenge Grantee

Project Category

Community Health and Economic Empowerment
└ Addressing community health
The Harvest Family Success Center aimed to help older residents to improve and maintain their health through a better diet. As part of their efforts, the nonprofit established its Cooks Books program. Organizers set up a free, weekly outdoor produce market. Older adults in the community also received weekly wellness phone calls, which served as check-ins to assess their mental state and financial health. In addition, the Center created a library of health and wellness books. Since the initiative launched local businesses and community groups have stepped in to provide additional resources, including access to a dietician. In addition, project organizers report that during the COVID-19 pandemic the market and wellness check-ins helped older adults in the community avoid social isolation.

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Farm to Pantry (2023)

Santa Rosa, CA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Addressing community health

Description: Low-income older adults in Sonoma County often lacked access to fresh produce, relying on shelf-stable foods. Farm to Pantry addressed this by building "Farm-acy" carts stocked with locally grown fruits and vegetables, health clinics and other high-need sites. Volunteers gleaned produce from farms and added recipe cards to encourage healthy meals. The carts now provide free, high-quality food in a dignified setting, reducing waste and improving nutrition. One recipient said, "I walk out of the clinic to this bright cart full of freshly-picked oranges... it was like it was meant for me personally."

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

The Gil Carter Initiative Inc. (2022)

Topeka, KS

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Addressing community health

Description: Food insecurity and poor nutrition challenged older adults in Topeka. The organization built a temperature-controlled greenhouse and picnic area to provide fresh produce year-round and a space for social connection. Residents learned gardening techniques and shared crops, while volunteers installed benches and solar lighting. "Standing back and seeing the final product was rewarding," said a project lead. The greenhouse now supports cooking classes and partnerships with local gardens, creating long-term access to healthy food and education on nutrition.

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

City of Garfield (2017)

Garfield, NJ

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017

Project Category: Addressing community health

Description: Through its Generations for Garfield initiative, the City of Garfield set up pop-up wellness centers at its local VFW post. Part of a pilot program, the centers provided a centrally located, multigenerational space for programming, including arts, cooking and exercise classes. Since the pilot, the effort culminated in construction of the Garfield Engagement Center in 2019.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

County of Hunterdon (2026)

Raritan, NJ

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026

Project Category: Public or private transit access

Description: The county will install a wheelchair-accessible bus shelter with seating at a local community complex. The shelter will provide weather protection and improve comfort for older adults using public transit.

Healthier Somerset with Somerset Health Care Foundation (2018)

Somerville, NJ

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: This project paired local youth with graduate students to evaluate walkability and bikeability in Somerset. Youth ambassadors engaged with members of their community to identify barriers to walking and biking, as well as opportunities to make active transportation safer and more comfortable. Based on their findings, the students decided to construct a parklet in Somerville's Bound Brook neighborhood. The mini-park -- which sits in the footprint of a parking spot -- extends the sidewalk space into the roadway. The parklet is modular, allowing the student ambassadors to set it up at community events, including weekly farmers market and movie nights. Organizers hope the temporary space offers residents an attractive place to stop, sit and to rest while taking in activities on the street. Youth who participated in the project worked alongside local leaders and made intergenerational connections -- all while learning how to advocate for their community.

ABOUT THE AARP COMMUNITY CHALLENGE

Launched in 2017, the annual AARP Community Challenge provides small grants to local governments and nonprofits in order to fund quick-action, ready-to-implement projects that can help communities become more livable for people of all ages.

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