AARP Hearing Center
AARP Livable Communities Map
Wilton Public Library (2023) Print
2023 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
The library's garden lacked features that encouraged lingering and accessibility for older adults. Volunteers age 50-plus helped redesign the space, adding shade, comfortable seating and sensory elements to make it more inviting. These upgrades boosted traffic and interest in garden programs, and plans now include creating zones like pollinator and sensory areas with detailed signage. The garden has become a focal point for community events and ongoing programming, fostering engagement among older adults and other residents.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Photo Gallery
Image:
Click on a photo to learn more
See More Projects Like This One
Providence, RI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Urban soil contamination left residents without safe gardening options, especially older adults with limited mobility or no yard space. The center introduced straw bale gardening, teaching participants how to grow vegetables without heavy tools or transportation. Over the summer, older adults found joy and improved mental well-being through gardening, while learning a method that promotes independence and self-sufficiency. One volunteer shared cucumbers with a crossing guard while explaining the benefits, showing how the project sparked community connections and will continue through outreach for future planting seasons.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Hudson, NH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Nashua has a large migrant population from Zambia, Burundi and Honduras, many of were farmers in their native counties. The ReGeerative Roots Association hoped to give them the opportunity to use their skills in their new home. The organization's ReGen Roots program, which provides free community garden plots to immigrant families. To give more families the opportunity to grow culturally familiar foods, this project expanded the garden's footprint by two acres. Participants can sell any extra produce, supplementing their household income. Additionally, community garden members donate ten percent of their peak harvest to two nonprofits that combat food insecurity in Nashua.
Jackson, MI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Older adults in Jackson lacked accessible ways to learn about healthy eating and gardening, leaving many disconnected from fresh food options. Grow Jackson responded by creating a garden program at a local community center, offering classes on nutrition, gardening and food saving. Participants gained hands-on experience with plants and shared knowledge in a welcoming space. The effort strengthened social ties and sparked plans for expanded programming next summer, ensuring continued engagement and healthier habits.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Walcott, IA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: Walcott's tennis courts had deteriorated since 1998, leaving few options for older adults to stay active in a town without fitness facilities. To address this, the city resurfaced one court and converted the other into two pickleball courts with fortified acrylic surfaces near a park and splash pad. The upgrades sparked interest in adult pickleball leagues and youth programs, creating a hub for social engagement and wellness. Residents say the new courts encourage active living and help older adults remain connected to the community.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Iowa City, IA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Walk Audits
Description: Older adults faced unsafe walking conditions and limited mobility options, making it harder to cross busy streets and stay connected. Two walk audits engaged 65 residents, nearly half age 50-plus, to identify hazards and explore placemaking strategies using AARP worksheets. The workshops sparked partnerships with city and state agencies and positioned the neighborhood to advocate for sidewalk murals, pedestrian triangles and a history trail. Participants said the effort was long overdue, with one noting, "I have been waiting for these kinds of improvements for a long time. This is so important for our neighborhood."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
LEARN MORE AND STAY INFORMED
Find articles and resources about making communities more livable for people of all ages
Download or order free publications from AARP Livable Communities
Sign up for the free, weekly, award-winning AARP Livable Communities eNewsletter
Don't see your community listed?
LEARN HOW IT CAN JOIN THE NETWORKConnect with your AARP State Office
AARP has offices in all 50 states as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
AARP Iowa State Office
600 E. Court Avenue
Suite 100
Des Moines, IA 50309
United States