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Sprout Up (2023) Print
2023 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
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.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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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.
Charleston, WV
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Older adults relying on a local food pantry faced limited access to fresh produce, affecting nutrition and health. To address this, the organization created a community garden that supplies fruits and vegetables for pantry boxes and invites older adults to help grow them. Two Master Gardeners led the effort, mentoring younger volunteers and fostering intergenerational bonds. The garden now provides consistent access to fresh food and serves as a space for learning and connection. "It was a season filled with growth...in the hearts and minds of the young adults I had the opportunity to teach," said one gardener.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Providence, RI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Older adults facing food insecurity and contaminated soil needed a safe way to grow produce and connect with others. Teaching straw bale gardening gave residents a low impact method that required no heavy tools or bending. Volunteers and older adults prepared the bales, planted vegetables and shared harvests, strengthening ties and reducing isolation. Returning participants showed how meaningful the project had become. Some participants watched produce closely, hoping to pick it when ripe. Preparing the site for next spring ensures continuity and encourages participants to try the method at home.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Cutler Bay, FL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: To encourage residents to exercise and socialize with one another, the Town of Cutler Bay added accessible exercise equipment - with a shade canopy to keep visitors cool -- to Cutler Ridge Park. Although Hurricane Irma damaged the park during installation, the new equipment now gives older adults the opportunity to improve their balance, strength, flexibility, range of motion and coordination. Project organizers say many older adults visit the park with their children and using the new fitness machines, which resemble playground equipment, can feel more like playing than exercising. Since the project's completion. the Town has installed similar fitness equipment at two other local parks.
Miami, FL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Public or private transit access
Description: Residents of Miami's Little Havana neighborhood wanted to improve the transit experience for the area's older adults. To do this, Urban Health Partnerships installed a dozen single and double-seat benches under shade trees near high-ridership bus and trolley stops. Little Havana residents use public transit at three times the rate of Miami-Dade County's general populace. Organizers say the new benches provide a welcome place to rest as they walk through the community or wait for transit.
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