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Salt Lake County Aging and Adult Services (2018) Print
2018 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
Salt Lake City's Taylorsville neighborhood is home to refugee families from Syria, Myanmar and Afghanistan. Many new residents, however, struggle with social isolation. To help people feel connected, Salt Lake County created a community garden at the local senior center. Volunteers built four raised beds and the County provided ergonomic gardening equipment, seeds and starter plants. Project organizers say the opportunity to garden gives older adults -- who were often farmers and ranchers in their native countries -- a renewed sense of purpose. Gardening also allows them to form relationships with their neighbors.
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Florida City, FL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Food insecurity in Florida City left many residents, including older adults, without reliable access to fresh produce or safe spaces to connect. Sprout Up introduced aeroponic gardening, creating a shared garden where volunteers grow fruits and vegetables for community fridges and choice pantries. The project not only improves food access but also fosters social ties and a sense of purpose. "Being able to come to the garden and have someone to talk to has really made me feel less alone," said one participant.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Davis, WV
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: An unused section of campus offered no space for growing food or community engagement. The project transformed it into a garden with 20 raised beds and four accessible benches, successfully producing potatoes and garlic on land once used for coal mining. The garden is now a permanent feature supporting education and local agriculture, with plans to expand crops for families and the food bank. "It was incredible to see our potato harvest just a few months after planting," one participant said.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Duluth, MN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Older adults faced barriers to gardening and social activities at a former urban college farm due to limited accessibility. Ecolibrium3 addressed this by building four raised beds with adaptive tools and hosting art and storytelling workshops that brought residents together. Advisory meetings informed plans for ADA-friendly features like shade structures and pathways. The project strengthened intergenerational connections and set the stage for a fully inclusive farm that promotes mobility, health and community engagement.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Salt Lake City, UT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety
Description: Older adults in Salt Lake City often feel overlooked in transit planning, leaving them isolated in neighborhoods divided by highways and poor air quality. HEAL addressed this by hosting walk audits and listening sessions, creating a toolkit for residents, and partnering with the transit authority to teach residents how to use buses and apply for reduced fares. These efforts amplified older voices in city studies and boosted independence by showing practical routes and services. One participant said learning about a nearby bus line made them feel less dependent on rides from family and friends.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Salt Lake City, UT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Improved wayfinding
Description: As part of larger Complete Streets efforts to make local roadways friendlier to pedestrians and cyclists, Sweet Streets installed wayfinding signage throughout Salt Lake City. The signs display the distances to nearby amenities such as shops and parks, as well as the time needed to reach them on foot or by bike. Project organizers hope the initiative encourages residents to explore their community without getting in a car. Additionally, Sweet Streets held a series of outreach events to engage residents on street safety and design, especially as the nonprofit advocates for lowered speed limits on many roads.
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