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SourcePoint (2021) Print
2021 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
To give older adult residents of an affordable housing complex a space to gather, SourcePoint and Age-Friendly Delaware County created an accessible community garden. Volunteers installed raised beds to enable gardeners to work without needing to kneel down. Additionally, they laid an ADA-complaint crushed gravel path, added accessible benches and erected an aluminum fence around the space. Today, St. Michael's Community Garden hosts programming for gardeners and non-gardeners alike, including healthy cooking classes. Project organizers say the garden has helped combat social isolation, and senior housing residents now grow produce in their own backyard, which helps reduce their grocery bills.
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Albany, GA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: This project will provide raised garden beds, accessible seating, and digital literacy workshops for older adults. The initiative aims to enhance access to fresh food, increase digital literacy, and improve community resilience.
Montclair, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Montclair Community Garden has long been used by community members as a central gathering place, despite a lack of older adult-friendly amenities. The Montclair Community Foundation installed three raised garden beds, specifically designed for people with mobility restrictions, those who cannot easily bend down and gardeners who use wheelchairs. Additionally, the foundation installed an ADA-compliant picnic table, an 18-by-27-foot shade structure and new LED lighting. These changes enable residents of all ages and abilities to enjoy the garden. Now that the improvements are complete, project organizers say they are piloting a health education program at the garden, which will welcome patients whose doctors have recommended they spend time outdoors.
Price, UT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: This project will create a community garden to provide produce, improve nutrition, and increase food security for low-income individuals. The garden will also foster social interaction and combat isolation for people age 50-plus.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Delaware, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: Unity Park lacked safe gathering spaces and fitness options for older adults in an underserved neighborhood. The project added accessible fitness stations, a shade structure and a programming fitness area on a cushioned surface. It also put in benches and safety lighting to make the space inviting. These improvements introduced older adult recreation and created a venue for health programs in partnership with local agencies. One resident said, "I appreciate that there are benches and equipment that are accessible to people of all ages." Plans for a loop trail and additional amenities will expand opportunities for active living.
Galena, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Supporting family caregivers
Description: Family caregivers and older adults in rural Ohio faced isolation and few accessible spaces to connect. Rural Chapel upgraded entrances, added comfort-height seating and improved sound systems, while launching hybrid programs with livestreaming and a plain-language participation guide. Volunteers trained to support digital and in-person engagement, making programs inclusive for caregivers and people with dementia. "Accessibility is an attitude, not just a set of equipment," said a project leader. These changes fostered confidence and community, enabling older adults and caregivers to stay involved whether online or on-site.
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