Leadership RI and Dimeo Construction Builds New Community Garden for Woonsocket Residents
Garden, Community, Health and Beauty
Dimeo Construction devoted an entire day on June 11 to build a new community garden on the grounds of Community Care Alliance (CCA), creating a vital new source of fresh produce for Woonsocket residents as part of a larger Leadership Rhode Island (LRI) initiative. The project was led by Team 10—known as the Perfect 10—whose work focuses on strengthening Rhode Island’s food ecosystem through hyper‑local food production and improved access to healthy food.
The new garden features 184 square feet of planting space, with projected yields of more than 3,700 pounds of produce in its first year—enough to supplement fresh fruits and vegetables for approximately 200 households. Located in Rhode Island’s largest designated food desert, the garden directly addresses critical community needs in a city where 19.2% of residents live in poverty, nearly 1 in 5 lack access to a vehicle, and fresh food options are limited.
Dimeo Construction’s volunteer team provided labor, materials, and on‑site expertise throughout the full build day, transforming the CCA property into a productive growing space that will serve seniors, families, and vulnerable residents. Their contribution builds on earlier support from Age Friendly Rhode Island, AARP, United Security, Inc., the Rhode Island Department of Health, and Open Farms Retreat, all of whom have partnered with Team 10 to expand community gardening capacity across Woonsocket.
This garden is the second major project advanced by Team 10, complementing an accessible garden at the Woonsocket Senior Center (Aging Well, Inc.). Together, these initiatives strengthen Rhode Island’s broader food ecosystem by increasing local food production, improving nutrition access, and fostering long‑term community resilience.
“Dimeo Construction’s commitment of time, talent, and heart made this garden possible,” said representatives from Team 10. “Their work will have a lasting impact on hundreds of Woonsocket families and will help build a stronger, healthier, more equitable food system for years to come.”
The garden will be maintained by Community Care Alliance, with ongoing support from local partners and volunteers. Team 10 will continue working with municipal leaders, health agencies, and community organizations to secure long‑term funding, training, and leadership development to sustain the project.