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Vida Senior Centers (2023) Print
2023 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
Many older adults in Adams Morgan live in apartments without outdoor space, leaving them isolated and without access to fresh produce. Vida created a small garden where people could grow peppers, tomatoes and herbs central to their cuisine, teaching gardening skills and offering a sense of purpose. Volunteers described the joy of harvesting as "priceless." The project also strengthened community ties, with plans to expand the garden, integrate it into Vida's produce distribution program and involve neighbors in future growing efforts.
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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Elk City, OK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Elk City added nine new table gardens -- designed to accommodate gardeners who use wheelchairs or can't bend easily -- to make its community garden more accessible and appealing to all ages. To accommodate the table gardens, the City laid down gravel. They also added three benches installed on concrete pads. The improvements spurred the City to take on the expense of the garden's water, sewer and electric usage. Since the improvements, the City is exploring the possibility of adding shade structures to shield the benches from the sun, as well as hanging baskets of flowers or vegetables.
Seattle, WA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: This project spruced up the rooftop Pike Place Market Secret Garden, allowing volunteer gardeners to produce more fruits and vegetables there. All produce grown in the garden is provided to the Pike Market Food Bank, with nearly 500 fresh herbs and vegetables donated each year. In addition, the garden hosts intergenerational activities organized by a nearby assisted living facility, a childcare center and a preschool. The Pike Market Food Bank also received an AARP Community Challenge grant in 2019, which allowed it to install directional signage to help visitors find its hard-to-reach location. Established in 1982, the Pike Place Market Foundation aims to help low-income and unhoused Seattle residents who live in the neighborhood.
Raymond, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: The Raymond Village Library hoped to create an accessible community amenity to foster intergenerational relationships. So they worked to create a community garden. Volunteers installed benches, shade structures and solar lighting, as well as a graded path and waist-high planters designed to be accessible for gardeners with disabilities. To make garden upkeep easier, they also added rain barrels and a drip irrigation system.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Washington, DC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Walk Audits
Description: This project will launch a community walkability and safety initiative to assess and improve pedestrian infrastructure. It aims to enhance mobility by identifying needed sidewalk and crosswalk improvements.
Washington, DC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Description: Organizers with Vida Senior Center were looking for ways to combat social isolation and create community cohesion during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many D.C. residents were practicing strict social distancing and remaining detached from their peers. To help people feel less isolated, Vida created Anos Dorados, a choir comprised of Spanish-speaking older adults. The choir performed virtually every Friday at the Center's weekly party. They also held eight free, in-person community concerts at events around the greater metropolitan area. Additionally, the choir produced a recording, which features seven songs reflecting Hispanic heritage.
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