Ketchikan, AK

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Community Gardens

Description: Rendezvous Senior Day Service turned part of its parking lot into a thriving garden to combat isolation and promote wellness among older adults. Six raised beds and more than 100 flower containers made gardening accessible, while volunteers and other participants planted vegetables and native Haida potatoes. Intergenerational activities brought local children to help with seed planting, creating bonds across ages. The garden became a peaceful retreat for reflection and recovery. It has hosted community picnics and drew visitors from near and far. Participants reported improved health and socialization, proving the space is more than a garden-it's a catalyst for connection.

Providence, RI

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Community Gardens

Description: This project will teach older adults at the West End Community Center about Straw Bale Gardening, a cost-effective method to grow vegetables safely despite contaminated soil.

Lexington, KY

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019

Project Category: Community Gardens

Description: Organizers with Seedleaf hoped to provide a more comfortable experience for the many older adults who maintain one of its free community gardens. To do this, Seedleaf provided ergonomic garden tools -- including shovels and trowels -- designed for people with arthritis to use. They also purchased portable, raised seats that gardeners can place alongside garden beds, as well as a foldable wagon to collect harvested vegetables and a shed to house the new tools. To provide a space for visitors to rest and socialize, the nonprofit worked with a local carpenter to build two sturdy, cedar benches.