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Town of Ellington (2024) Print
2024 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
Seasonal gardening left older adults without access to fresh produce or the social and health benefits of tending plants. To address this, the town built a 10x16 greenhouse at the local Senior Center, creating year-round opportunities for gardening and learning. Volunteers installed shelving and padding, and seniors began growing vegetables for the center's lunch program and local food pantries. The greenhouse now serves as a hub for workshops and social connection. One gardener said the space encouraged her to use available transportation, helping her engage more in community life.
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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Billings, MT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Older gardeners struggled with heavy clay soil and low beds, making gardening painful and limiting produce donations to food pantries. The garden added four tall raised beds, five fruit trees and drip irrigation systems. It also put in kneeler benches and hose hangers to reduce strain and improve safety. These upgrades let older adults keep gardening and boosted donations of fresh vegetables. One gardener said moving to a raised bed let her continue gardening despite physical limitations, while others praised the ease and sense of community the improvements provide.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Pablo, MT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: On the Flathead Reservation, many older adults face food insecurity and chronic health issues tied to poor nutrition. The project installed eight gardening boxes, purchased lumber for 20 more and provided seeds and soil. Volunteers built boxes and planted vegetables, creating spaces for growing food and teaching traditional preservation. The garden now supplies fresh produce to older adult meal programs and homebound older adults, improving nutrition and reducing isolation. "I was able to plant my salad vegetables with my grandchildren... They enjoyed watering, picking and tasting what we grew," one resident said.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Juneau, AK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: 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."
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Tolland, CT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: To give older adults in Tolland an outdoor space to gather and spend time, the Tolland Conservation Commission created a new park. The Commission worked with landscape architecture students at University of Connecticut to design Wanat Senior Park, a 13-acre area with accessible woodland trails, space for stargazing, a wheelchair-accessible meadow trail and meditative labyrinth. Engagement with older adults, including a design charrette and guided site tour, informed plans for the park. Volunteers of all ages planted vegetation and helped install hardscaping. The park features a pollinator garden, ADA-compliant benches and a variety of native plants. Public art -- including a sculpture of a heron and a sundial -- welcome visitors to the space.
Vernon, CT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: A vacant courtyard at the Senior Center offered little value while older adults had limited access to fresh produce and social engagement. The project transformed the space with eight raised garden beds, trellises and an accessible walkway. About 15 volunteers planned and maintain the gardens, which will supply vegetables for meals and share extras with members and local shelters. Participants expressed excitement about gardening again, anticipating healthier meals and renewed opportunities for connection and activity.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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