AARP Hearing Center
AARP Livable Communities Map
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.
Photo Gallery
Image:
Click on a photo to learn more
See More Projects Like This One
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.
Rushville, IL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: The project addressed the lack of an accessible outdoor space where older adults and other residents could garden, participate in group therapy or spend quiet time in nature. Many lived in apartments or assisted living and had no way to maintain a garden of their own. Raised and wheelchair-accessible beds created a welcoming place to grow food, build skills and contribute produce to a 24-hour pantry that helps residents on limited incomes. The garden strengthened social connection and encouraged regular visits, improving well-being through meaningful activity. One participant who used the accessible beds said, "It's been wonderful. I enjoyed it very much."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Akron, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Shanti Community Farms created a Nepali garden to give older adults in Akron's diverse neighborhoods a place to grow familiar foods and reconnect with cultural traditions. Elevated beds made gardening easier, and families cultivated potatoes, mustard greens and Asian eggplant while preparing traditional dishes for picnics and farmers markets. The project boosted physical activity, improved diets and generated income through sales. It also strengthened intergenerational ties as grandparents gardened alongside grandchildren, reducing isolation and fostering community pride. Plans to expand into an education center promise lasting benefits.
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.
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 Florida State Office
360 N. Central Avenue
Suite 1750
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
United States
Phone: 866-595-7678
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]