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Village of Rye Brook (2024) Print
2024 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
Many older residents faced food insecurity as pre-made meals became costly and often spoiled, leaving those in low-income housing without reliable nutrition. The Village transformed an unused patio into a handicapped-accessible Giving Garden with raised beds and seating, enabling volunteers to grow fresh vegetables and herbs. Older adults now receive free produce and enjoy a welcoming space for meals and socializing. The garden also offers therapeutic benefits. One participant shared that she reminisced about gardening with her father as she worked in the new garden, and was already committed to working in the garden next spring.
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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See More Projects Like This One
Bronx, NY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: The Morris Community Garden had suffered years of neglect, and the abandoned site was overrun with rats. To breathe new live into the space, BronxWorks restored the garden, located near a senior center and three schools. They renamed the space Bean Morris Garden to memorialize a young man from the neighborhood. To welcome people of all ages and abilities, the nonprofit added accessible seating to the space, along with raised garden beds. Since the renovation, residents of all ages have volunteered to tend to the plots. Organizers say the amenity offers an important outdoor gathering space for the community.
Pittsburgh, PA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Grounded Strategies transformed a vacant lot in Pittsburgh's Central Hill District into a community garden. The organization relied on what is calls its ReClaim Ambassador model, which connects experts with vulnerable communities to repurpose vacant land and revitalize neighborhoods. To create the Peace, Love and Friendship Garden, the ambassador for this project worked with corporate donors, volunteers and nonprofit partners. Meant to offset the closure of a local grocery store, the garden features 72 raised beds where residents can grow vegetables. Grounded Strategies is now working with partner organization Grow Pittsburgh to create programming for 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.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Stamford, CT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: To make Fairgate Farm more accessible for people of all ages and abilities, project organizers extended an existing ADA-compliant crushed stone walkway leading from the farm's entrance to its market. They also made gathering at the farm more comfortable by installing picnic tables, benches, a bike rack and raised gardening beds. The urban garden and community gathering space on Stamford's West Side hosts programming for community members, from cooking demos to gardening workshops and cooking classes. Fairgate Farm attracts volunteers from across the community, who grow and distribute more than 5,000 pounds of organic fruits and vegetables each year. The produce is then donated to low-income volunteers, their families and local hunger relief charities.
Glen Cove, NY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Transportation Other
Description: As transit systems moved schedules, fares and maps online, many older adults in Glen Cove struggled to use buses and trains without digital skills. Age-Friendly Glen Cove addressed that barrier through hands-on workshops that paired transit app training with real trips on local buses and rail. Older adults received one-on-one help from trained volunteers, including youth tutors, and practiced planning routes and paying fares in real time. One couple said learning the app gave them confidence to travel together by train for the first time in years. By combining digital training with practical experience and local advocacy, the project expanded mobility options and helped residents stay connected to daily activities and community life.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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