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The Trustees of Reservations (2022) Print
2022 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
This project repaired a hazardous walkway at Southwest Corridor Community Farm and built four raised-bed gardens for gardeners with disabilities at Savin and Maywood Community Garden.
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See More Projects Like This One
Birmingham, AL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: This project expanded community garden facilities by renovating an existing trailer to provide restrooms, an office and a classroom/meeting space. The upgrades provide indoor space where Bush Hills Connections can host gardening classes. The garden also received new pet waste stations and hand and equipment sanitation stations. The garden -- once an abandoned school property -- is located within a food desert and provides fresh produce to 200 families. Additionally, it is a popular meeting place, particularly with older adults.
Green Bay, WI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: The Farmory is a nonprofit urban farm, where community members can learn about sustainable agriculture and aquaponics. However, many of the farm's features were inaccessibly to visitors who rely on wheelchairs or other mobility devices. To make the space more accessible, the Farmory installed a new aquaponics system, which is low to the ground. This allows visitors to see the farm's growing systems without needing to climb onto a ladder. The system consists of four growing beds, water tanks, a germinating chamber and a harvesting area. Today, produce grown with the new aquaponics system also helps combat food insecurity -- the Farmory donates about ten pounds of greens each week to the county's Aging and Disability Resource Center.
Baltimore, MD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: This project upgraded and made accessibility improvements to a community garden in a low-income neighborhood. It created a rain garden and installed a permeable paver path, picnic table, lighting and a canopy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Boston, MA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: To encourage walking, Boston installed benches in Main Street neighborhood districts across the city. Older adults tested and approved the benches and worked with the City to identify the best locations for them. The initiative's guiding principle was that making walking safe and comfortable for older adults creates a better environment for people of all ages. Project organizers report residents were eager to use the new benches. In fact, as Department of Public Works staff were finishing up an installation, a few people were often waiting to take a seat. The benches contribute to vibrant public spaces near businesses and merchants say they appreciate the increased foot traffic. Project organizers say the installations helped develop a city-wide framework for a sustainable bench program, addressing installation and long-term maintenance.
Boston, MA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public spaces improvements to increase high-speed internet availability
Description: The Boston Public Library offers free, 24-hour Wi-Fi access at outdoor locations around the city. However, many of these workstations were not convenient or equipped for older adults. To fix this, the library expanded the program into new neighborhoods, targeting areas with older populations, low internet adoption rates and low median household income. At each new Wi-Fi workstation, the library installed furniture, solar-powered string lights, age-friendly seating, plants and other decorative items.
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