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Thane Community Garden Association (2022) Print
2022 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
Steep terrain and thick tree cover make gardening in Thane difficult, limiting residents' ability to grow their own food. To address this, organizers with the Thane Community Garden Association found a flat, sunny piece of land at an unused hatchery -- perfect for a new garden. Part of larger efforts to create small community gardens throughout the area, this project added accessible garden beds, fencing and a tool shed to the site. Organizers say the space will support the Association's education program, which teaches residents about gardening and nutrition. One resident said the garden is "going to change the nature of Thane for the good."
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See More Projects Like This One
Thurston County, WA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Garden Raised Bounty installed 21 home gardens throughout Thurston County, giving the recipients access to healthy food and community connections. The organization adapted half of the gardens to meet accessibility needs and customized all of the gardens for specific recipients. Garden Raised Bounty also provided growing guides, online tutorials, seeds or starter plants, recipes and one-on-one support to ensure each garden's success. Its goal was to increase food security and provide for the mental and physical well-being of its recipients, many of whom reported the project had a positive impact on their communities and lives.
Anchorage, AK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Many Anchorage residents who visit the city's food pantries have traditionally lacked access to fresh produce. The St. Francis House Food Pantry, run by Catholic Social Services, serves more than 10,000 people every year, distributing more than 700,000 pounds of food. To offer more fresh vegetables, CSS transformed an underused courtyard on the St. Francis House property into a community garden with 15 raised beds. Volunteers also created a mural depicting Alaska wildlife to decorate the area used for drive-through food pickup. Older adult volunteers manage the garden, which gives food pantry clients and CSS staff a space to share ideas and culture across socioeconomic, age and racial boundaries.
St. Louis, MO
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: STL Village partnered with volunteers from the community to restore the Lewis Place Community Garden, which had gone unplanted during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Volunteers cleared the site of overgrowth, refurbished garden beds, installed a storage shed and planted and watered vegetables, shrubs and trees. Neighborhood residents formed a garden committee charged with maintaining the site going forward. STL Village also created a resource guide for local older adults with a specific focus on services for low-income families.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
AK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Accessory dwelling units, tiny homes and manufactured housing
Description: Alaska faces a fast-growing older population and a shortage of affordable housing, yet many municipalities lack ordinances for accessory dwelling units (ADUs). To address this, the league researched statewide policies, created a best practices guide and ordinance template, and shared strategies through targeted outreach. The effort prompted interest from local leaders, with communities planning ADU ordinances and requesting technical assistance. "We loved having an easy-to-read publication that was Alaska specific", one council member said, underscoring how the project simplified complex housing issues and accelerated local action.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Juneau, AK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Accessibility of amenities
Description: Uneven terrain kept visitors with mobility challenges from exploring the public garden, limiting older adults' access to nature and scenic views. The group built an ADA-compliant path of precast pavers leading to a bench overlooking the gardens and ocean. They also added wide steps to manage slope. Volunteers landscaped adjoining beds, and a ribbon-cutting drew 75 guests, including wheelchair and walker users. The path is a permanent improvement that opens the arboretum to residents and strengthens community ties. One guest said, "To have the arboretum now be a place which I can easily access in my wheelchair and feel truly welcome is a wonderful gift."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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