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Leeward Community Church (2024) Print
2024 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
An overgrown lot at Pearl City High School left older adults without a welcoming place to gather. Volunteers cleared one acre and built "The Haven" with raised beds, tropical orchards, a pumpkin patch, picnic areas and a deck for classes. Festivals, workdays and workshops co-led by students and older adults turned the space into a hub for connection and learning. The school created a coordinator role to sustain the garden, and partnerships are advancing solar-powered irrigation and plans for outdoor classrooms and specialized gardens. The project will help spur long-term benefits to the community.
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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Tucson, AZ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: The Blue Moon Community Garden in Tucson is located next a 17-story apartment building with hundreds of residents, many of whom are older adults. However, the garden lacked shade and amenities, including public bathrooms and benches, which discouraged potential volunteers. Community Gardens of Tucson, which manages twenty gardens across the city, installed tables, benches and pop-up shade structures. They also built raised garden beds, improved pathways and added a compostable toilet onsite. The improvements allow garden to offer more diverse programming for community members, which has led to more volunteer engagement.
San Antonio, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: This project will create a community garden at Ella Austin Community Center, offering adults 50+ hands-on gardening activities. This project promotes healthy aging, social connection, and food access.
Wilmington, DE
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: As part of its efforts to turn several vacant lots into the 7th and West Streets Park, the Wilmington Alliance (then known as the Wilmington Renaissance Corporation) created a community garden onsite. The Alliance constructed a storage shed and raised-bed gardens, along with two beds for blueberry and raspberry bushes. The shed has lighting, a community bulletin board and a countertop workspace for gardeners. To offer gardeners expertise and support, project organizers also recruited a neighbor to serve as farmer-in-residence. During planning for the new park -- located on a remediated brownfield site -- residents specifically requested a vegetable garden. Today, the garden makes up one-third of the park. "The green space has become a staple in the community, and the neighbors have embraced the opportunities the garden presents," said Laura Semmelroth, director of creative placemaking.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Honolulu, HI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: Dangerous multi-lane crossings left pedestrians navigating long gaps in traffic, with low vehicle yield rates that created daily safety concerns for people walking to homes, bus stops and community services. The project installed new signs, fresh pavement markings and a solar-powered rapid-flashing beacon to make the crosswalk more visible. Yield rates rose from 60 to 87 percent after installation, improving comfort for people on foot. One community member said, "Thank you for this, I feel better walking here." The pilot also showed the city it could deliver similar safety fixes more quickly at other high-need sites.
Honolulu, HI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Digital navigation skills
Description: As SNAP benefits dropped and food prices soared, many older adults in Honolulu struggled to afford groceries. They also faced barriers volunteering at The Pantry's eCommerce food distribution program due to limited digital skills. The project trained more than 375 older adults on basic computer navigation, teaching account setup and ordering across laptops and tablets. This enabled volunteers to assist others and order food themselves, impacting nearly 2,000 older adults. One participant now orders for her assisted living facility, saying the training helped her meet cultural preferences and support neighbors.
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