In March of 2008, Aging Services received a Communities for a Lifetime Grant through the West Central Florida Area Agency on Aging (WCFAAA) to enhance the garden adjacent to the Wimauma Senior Center. The total award was $12,455.00. With those funds Aging Services was able to purchase a gazebo; picnic tables; benches; an assortment of Florida native shrubs, trees, and flowers; and various other services and materials to complete the beautification of the 100' x 128' lot.

The land had historically been a focal point of the community as a gathering place and a vegetable garden that was a local food source, but had sat fallow for the past few years. Volunteers and Aging Services staff contributed their time to clear the area of overgrowth and debris. Volunteers from United Health Care - Secure Fit, USF Collaborative - Future Nurses Club, Experience Works and Aging Services staff participated in Great Plant Day on May 17 and 18. The Youth Environmental Services (Y.E.S.) program also helped at the Great Plant Day and they continue to come on Wednesdays to help with gardening, weeding, and mulching.

The dedication of the Wimauma Senior Center's new Intergenerational Community Garden took place on Friday, June 27. Senior Center participants, students from Hillsborough County's Head Start program, as well as Collins and Wimauma elementary schools, and representatives from Aging Services and the WCFAAA attended the ceremony. Frances Nieto, General Manager I with Aging Services Senior Centers, guided children from the South County Head Start program as they placed flowers in beds by the entrance to the new garden. Children from Ruskin Parks and Recreation After School / Summer Program also participated in the activities on opening day and will help to maintain the garden as part of the ongoing intergenerational programming at the garden.

The goal of the project is to revitalize the garden and create social, educational, environmental and intergenerational impacts that will benefit and strengthen the community for generations to come. The Wimauma Intergenerational Community Garden will help develop a sense of community pride and benefit both youthful and elder residents, in alignment with the Communities for a Lifetime initiative. The garden will provide an educational experience in addition to adding beauty to the neighborhood. With signage displayed, visitors will be able to learn about the Florida native and drought resistant plants used in the landscaping and how to include these plants and care for them in their own gardens. Additionally, this type of garden will attract a variety of native wildlife, which will enhance the educational and environmental impact in the community.

The native flowers and shrubs in the Butterfly Garden will attract and provide habitat for animals, birds, butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. The trees in the Bird Forest include Live Oak, Sycamore, Camphor, Redbud, Dogwood, Loquat, Orchid Trees, and Little Gem Magnolia. Trees planted in the Citrus Orchard include peach, plum, mulberry, temple oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, lemon, lime, and even a fig tree. The children who toured the garden on opening day were especially interested in the plants that would produce edible fruits.