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Urban Harvest STL (2024) Print
2024 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
North St. Louis faces severe food insecurity, leaving older adults with limited access to fresh produce and safe outdoor spaces. Urban Harvest STL grew over 1,000 pounds of food at Fresh Starts Garden, donating most to programs serving older adults. The team installed accessible raised beds and picnic tables and repaired a generator to help power tools, making gardening easier for those with mobility challenges. Volunteers and apprentices age 50-plus joined in, and the season ended with a celebration of 100 community members. The garden manager said, "Gardening is very rewarding... The garden benefits the whole community because they get to see something positive going on."
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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Sheridan, WY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Veterans at the Sheridan VA struggled to access a therapeutic garden because uneven terrain and heat made gardening unsafe for those with mobility challenges. The project installed more than 500 feet of ADA-compliant concrete paths, raised beds at accessible heights and a retractable shade system. Volunteers and VA staff also hosted workshops and a garden symposium to engage veterans. These upgrades created a fully accessible space that supports physical activity, mental health and food security, ensuring older veterans can garden safely for years to come. One participant, who is a veteran, said that he didn't realize how much he would love gardening, and now has a passion for it.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
San Antonio, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: An existing garden at a Senior Center will be repaired and improved with accessible raised beds, improved irrigation, shade and soil. The space will host gardening workshops and support regular use by older adults and neighbors.
Kokomo, IN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Gardening tools, carts and small storage sheds will be added to multiple community garden sites. These tools will allow older volunteers to garden comfortably and stay active while helping others.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
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.
St. Louis, MO
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Residents lacked nearby spaces for relaxation and wellness, forcing older adults to travel for peaceful outdoor areas. The project added two tranquil spaces to Bustani Ya Upenda garden: a wooden arbor with benches and a zen area with a solar fountain, lighting and sculpture. Volunteers, including older adults, helped build the spaces, which now offer calm and connection. A neighborhood leader didn't use to visit, but now visits often, saying he is impressed by the beauty created with older adults in mind.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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