Houston, TX

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Entrepreneurship and improved economic resilience

Description: East African newcomers in Houston, many age 50-plus, face isolation and limited income despite deep farming knowledge. FAM Houston equipped 30 farmers with seeds, tools and supplies to sell crops at local markets, creating a Farmers Market Team and piloting biweekly sales. The effort boosted production by 50%, improved nutrition and gave participants a sense of belonging. Surveys show income gains and better health outcomes, and farmers shared cultural knowledge with customers. "When you share the ideas with people, it feels good... it makes me happy," said Emmaculata, reflecting on teaching market shoppers how to cook cassava leaves.

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

Houston, TX

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: Many residents of Houston's Gulfton neighborhood live in apartment buildings, which lack outdoor space. Organizers with My Connect Community set out to give these residents a place to gather. They created a placemaking tool kit tailored to multifamily property owners. The kit includes portable carts adorned with laser-cut designs meant to represent Gulfton's diversity. Each cart also features a shade umbrella and a chalkboard. Additionally, the kits include outdoor rugs, bistro lighting and seating. Then My Connect Community hosted a series of pop-up events on side streets and in on-street parking spaces. The temporary activations gave Gulfton residents a chance to socialize with one another and allowed organizers to share information about community resources, such as public transit service and library programming. In the future, My Connect Community hopes to ensure community events are culturally informed and engage volunteers who speak residents' languages.