AARP Hearing Center
AARP Livable Communities Map
Northwest Neighborhood Environmental Organization Inc. (2018) Print
2018 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
To combat food insecurity, improve neighborhood safety and encourage residents to spend time outdoors, this project enhanced an existing community garden. Over several community work days volunteers installed raised beds, benches, a picnic table and portable toilet facilities. Organizers hope the improvements make the garden more accessible to people of all ages -- including older adults living in nearby apartment complexes.
Photo Gallery
Image:
Click on a photo to learn more
See More Projects Like This One
Newark, NJ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: To tackle food insecurity and urban blight, Unstoppable Girls Foundation improved two community gardens and launched an intergenerational program pairing older adults with youth. They shared gardening skills while more than 30 youngsters learned to plant, prune and embrace healthy eating. The effort fostered teamwork and pride, with nearly all participants reporting better physical and mental well-being. One volunteer reflected, "Gardening is one of the most rewarding activities for youngsters and senior citizens."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Vassalboro, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: In rural Vassalboro, older adults lacked spaces for outdoor activity and fresh food access. The town created four raised garden beds and installed two benches, with volunteers and a local nursery providing soil and plants. The gardens offer a place for older adults to garden, socialize and learn, with plans for expansion and multigenerational programs. One veteran who lives in an apartment said he that was happy to participate in the project because he has no place to garden, and was excited to help encourage other older adults.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Arcata, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Residents of a 60-unit affordable housing complex, many previously unhoused and living with disabilities, faced isolation and difficulty adjusting to stable housing. To address this, the organization created a community garden with raised beds and accessible paths, giving tenants a chance to garden and connect. The space now fosters pride and teamwork, with residents planning seasonal crops and hosting volunteer-supported projects. One tenant said, "I couldn't wait to get my hands in the dirt and help feed my neighbors," showing the sense of community the garden has built.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Roanoke, VA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions
Description: Facing an aging population and rising housing costs, Roanoke updated zoning to allow accessory dwelling units but needed to build awareness. The city partnered with AIA Blue Ridge for a design competition that produced four pre-approved ADU plans, an online design book and a resource website. Workshops and an awards event showcased universal design and aging-in-place strategies. Residents are now exploring ADU construction using these plans, a shift expected to add new units each year and help older adults stay in their neighborhoods.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Roanoke, VA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: When a nearby bridge closed, Ferdinand Avenue became the only route to the Roanoke River Greenway, forcing heavy traffic onto streets already unsafe for walkers and bikers. Wide intersections and no crosswalks made conditions especially risky for older adults. PedalSafe ROA responded with artistic pavement markings and temporary barriers at three intersections, slowing cars and improving visibility. Volunteers painted nearly 7,000 square feet of art and the city committed to a permanent mini-roundabout. Residents report safer crossings and stronger community ties. "This project was exciting because of all of the people that it brought together... and the way that it created a better and more beautiful corridor," said PedalSafe's chairperson.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
LEARN MORE AND STAY INFORMED
Find articles and resources about making communities more livable for people of all ages
Download or order free publications from AARP Livable Communities
Sign up for the free, weekly, award-winning AARP Livable Communities eNewsletter
Don't see your community listed?
LEARN HOW IT CAN JOIN THE NETWORKConnect with your AARP State Office
AARP has offices in all 50 states as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
AARP Virginia State Office
901 E Byrd Street
Suite 1005
Richmond, VA 23219
United States