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Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful (2024) Print
2024 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
Fort Hill faced food insecurity and lacked green spaces, leaving older adults with few options for fresh produce or outdoor gathering spots. The project expanded the community garden with 10 new beds, planted shade and fruit trees, and added berry bushes. Volunteers cleared litter and installed an inspirational mural on the basketball court, transforming the park into a vibrant hub. Residents expressed hope for the neighborhood's future, and plans now include chess tournaments and exercise equipment to sustain engagement.
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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Boston, MA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: This project will improve accessibility for older adults by widening and leveling paths, adding solar lighting, and providing internet access. These upgrades will enhance safety and support community meetings.
Philadelphia, PA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: West Philadelphia lacked accessible green spaces, leaving older adults and marginalized residents without safe areas for recreation and social connection. The Park in a Truck initiative partnered with LandHealth Institute to build four demonstration gardens-Natural, Edible, Sanctuary and Event-at a former vacant lot. Volunteers installed raised beds, pollinator plants and seating amenable to people age 50-plus. The project united older adults and youth to create inclusive spaces and provided hands-on education about gardening and pollination. One participant shared, "Building demonstration gardens helped me learn what I can plant in other areas of my neighborhood." The gardens now serve as models for future community-led green spaces.
Sheridan, WY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Veterans at the Sheridan VA struggled to access a therapeutic garden because uneven terrain and heat made gardening unsafe for those with mobility challenges. The project installed more than 500 feet of ADA-compliant concrete paths, raised beds at accessible heights and a retractable shade system. Volunteers and VA staff also hosted workshops and a garden symposium to engage veterans. These upgrades created a fully accessible space that supports physical activity, mental health and food security, ensuring older veterans can garden safely for years to come. One participant, who is a veteran, said that he didn't realize how much he would love gardening, and now has a passion for it.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Macon-Bibb, GA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: This project will transform a vacant lot near public transit into Spirit of Macon Park, a safe, attractive, multi-purpose green space. The park will offer wellness programs and activities.
Macon, GA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Public safety interventions
Description: Uneven sidewalks and overgrown paths near two Macon schools made walking unsafe for students and older adults. The Path to Success project cleared 25 streets, removed over 100 bags of debris and launched a Walking School Bus for more than 100 children. Older adults joined walk audits and served as porch watchers, creating safer routes and stronger community ties. "It inspires school attendance and safety in our most vulnerable neighborhoods," said the project manager. The effort also influenced local violence prevention planning and sparked interest from other schools, positioning the program as a model for neighborhood safety.
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