Where Sustainability and Belonging Take Root

We are pleased to share that the NOLA Artist Incubator has been selected by the Administration of Community Living for Phase One of the Cultivating Connected Communities Challenge. Galvez Garden was awarded this opportunity as part of a national competition that seeks to support community garden projects working to expand accessibility, healthy eating, and community connection for people with disabilities and older adults. With support from this program we plan to address accessibility at the garden, clearing pathways and adding a ramp and deck to the new shipping container. Additionally, the nonprofit looks forward to creating new partnerships with organizations specifically serving people with disabilities and older adults to expand and enhance our program offerings at the garden.

  “This challenge is about inviting people in. These Phase 1 winners show what’s possible when community gardens are designed to reduce isolation, increase access to healthy food, and strengthen community participation for people with disabilities and older adults,”

-Dr. Rebecca Hines, commissioner of ACL’s Administration on Disabilities (AoD).

Background on the challenge

The Cultivating Connected Communities Challenge builds on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s The People’s Garden initiative and supports the national Make America Healthy Again effort, which focuses on preventing chronic disease through better food access and community wellness, including for people with disabilities and older adults. A multidisciplinary expert panel selected the winners based on their accessibility approach, sustainability, and strength of community partnerships.

The Incubator looks forward to upcoming updates and projects to make Galvez Garden more accessible and inclusive to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, people with paralysis and other physical disabilities, and older adults.