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Home Works USA (2023) Print
2023 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
Residents in an affordable housing community faced food insecurity and limited access to gardening. Home Works USA improved its garden by adding raised beds for accessibility, installing fencing to deter deer and hosting a free indoor farmers market for older adults and neighbors. Volunteers of all ages worked together, sharing skills and building relationships. The upgrades created a safer, more inviting space for intergenerational gardening and fresh food distribution. One volunteer commented that he and others were excited to finally get back to gardening again.
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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Portsmouth, NH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Residents of Atlantic Heights Senior Housing faced barriers to fresh food and outdoor activity, leaving many isolated. Gather partnered with the housing authority to build four raised garden beds, install a watering system and provide seasonal plants. Twenty residents helped plan, plant and maintain vegetables, herbs and flowers. The gardens now offer a sustainable source of produce, improve nutrition and foster social connection while removing mobility barriers. Success has inspired plans for gardening workshops and expansion to other housing sites.
Millersburg, PA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Gardeners faced a cumbersome irrigation setup that required long walks and manual water activation, making maintenance difficult for older adults. The borough installed a permanent underground water line and yard hydrant near the garden entrance, replacing a temporary hose system. This upgrade simplified watering and boosted accessibility. The garden now produces thousands of pounds of organic food for local distribution, and participants anticipate expanded use for therapeutic gardening. One gardener said, "Watering is SO much easier now" and noted how lack of water pressure had made garden upkeep difficult prior to the project.
Manchester, CT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: To combat food insecurity and isolation, the organization transformed its property into a welcoming outdoor space with raised garden beds and picnic tables. Volunteers maintained the gardens, which yielded tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, okra, watermelon and herbs for free distribution. A ribbon-cutting event marked the opening, and older adults embraced the space as a place to share meals and conversation. The project not only provided fresh produce to improve nutrition, but also fostered inclusion and strengthened community ties. It has created a vibrant setting that will expand in future seasons.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Lawrence, KS
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public or private transit access
Description: Many of Lawrence's bus stops lacked shelters or seating for waiting riders. As a temporary fix, people left lawn chairs, folding chairs and benches at the bus stops, which locals nicknamed shame benches. The United Way of Douglas County stepped in to install amenities at 15 bus stops, particularly in lower income areas with high ridership. Local youth created art to decorate five existing stops, with students at a local technical school constructing custom-built shelters for another five. Project organizers hope the upgrades make the transit system more accessible to older people, people with disabilities and anyone who can't easily stand on a curb.
Gardner, KS
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Public space activation
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