In case you missed it, the Caribbean Association of St. Louis — yes, that’s us! — was selected as one of 750 recipients of the 2026 AARP Community Challenge Grant. Through this grant, we’re making improvements to the Bell Community Garden, where CASTL is already involved, with a focus on making the garden more user-friendly and accessible for people of all ages and abilities, including our community members age 50 and over.

We’ve already started making changes to the garden beds, and this Saturday’s planting will be an important first step in bringing the project to life.

We’ll be gathering at the Bell Community Garden AT 4pm this Saturday to begin preparing the garden beds and planting cool-weather crops as we kick off this exciting project. We will have some snacks/food, music and a free raffle! This is a great opportunity to get outside, get our hands in the soil, and work together to create a more inclusive space for our community.

We would greatly appreciate having our CASTL members, friends, family, and community supporters join us. And if you know someone age 50+ who may be interested in gardening, community projects, or simply enjoying some time outdoors with others, please invite them to come along!

Let’s grow something meaningful together — rooted in Caribbean culture, community, and inclusion!