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WHATS NEW IN THE GARDEN'S
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| Piecemakers of Reserve, New Mexico |
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Catron County Piecemakers Quilters Guild of Reserve New Mexico, just sent us 12 beautiful handmade quilts for the babies. We'd like to thank Karen Talamantes, Sylvia Hall, Jeannette Hall,
Thelma Mc Carty, Sally Powell, Christie Cope, Naneen Boyce and Rachel Hanatani who told the quilters our story.
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Knights of Columbus Donate Caskets
The Knights of Columbus Council 13124 donated twelve beautiful handmade caskets. These "gentle" men build and got others involved in lining every casket plus they made them in different sizes which is something we have been wanting done for a long time. We would like to thank Mr. Franke for making this gift possible and bringing his wife to Elissa's house so she can teach her how to line the caskets. What an amazing gift.
We will be posting a picture as soon as we get one.
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Garden News
Brief: San Diego; St. Louis, MO; Las Vegas, NV; Montreal, Canada, Washington D.C., Sacramento, CA, Seattle, WA & San Francisco
San Francisco
Garden of Innocence/San Francisco is up and running. We are looking for members of the community that would like to help run this garden as well as volunteers to help at the services. Please email goisanfrancisco@hotmail.com if you are interested in volunteering at Garden of Innocence/San Francisco. Hit the tab to the left for San Francisco for more information.
San Diego
Graveside Services
are always held at
Ten in the morning on Saturdays in
Garden of Innocence
Located in El Camino Memorial Park
5600 Carroll Canyon Rd San Diego
For directions call 800-ELCamino
or the Garden of Innocence/San Diego
760-295-1786
The Knights of Columbus will be conducting this service and are hoping to have 100 Knights there.
Please sign up for email notification of pending services by contacting the webmaster at Georgene@gardenofinnocence.com
St. Louis, Missouri
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| On November 15th, 2007, Garden of Innocents’ founder, Rebeca Navarro-McKelvey, was presented with the Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri "Faith in Action Award" award. Rebeca was one of four distinguished recipients presented with this award. |
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Las Vegas, Nevada
We have been trying for over a year to start a garden in Las Vegas, but have hit brick walls all the way. All we want to do is take care of the little ones that no one else wanted and provide them dignity for their final resting place.
We had a meeting with Palm Cemetery, which is the largest cemetery based company in Las Vegas and they said that they prefer to not work with us. They even had a property set aside for abandoned infants, but it was empty. This was very sad.
We are still trying to get one up and running as we have the people to help and can raise the funds needed rather quickly. We hope that somewhere a door opens that has the same heart as we do.
Washington, DC
Great news. A wonderful friend of ours with the Knights of Columbus has worked at the White House in Washington DC for 37 years and has offered to pay for all our future flights and accommodations from now on. All we have to do is call the White House and have them arrange the flights. First class and awesome gift that is so wonderful as our funds are low and this gift will ease so much of the stress of raising the funds to cover our travel.
If you know anyone in another state that may be interested in starting a garden, please send them our information.
Houston, Texas
In planning stages
Pastor Netreia Carroll spend three days in Galveston & Houston, speaking to the entities in charge of the indigent burial program for a garden in their area. She found the people in Galveston to be very friendly and ready to listen to her talk about our cause. We hope to be returning to this area again to discuss the issues that come up involving starting Garden of Innocence/Texas. We have decided to not continue working in Galveston but to move on to Dallas as we have people there that are anxious to help.
A cemetery in Pearland, Texas has offered to donate 50 spaces to us for the Garden of Innocence.
The leg work involved to start a garden is very lengthy and involves getting counties to change their ideas and systems in place and the legal red tape is mind boggling, but little by little we are getting it done.
If you know anyone in the Houston or Dallas areas that might want to help raise funds or help run the garden there, please let us know.
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
In planning stages
We have received news that Christina Baillas- Thompson is wanting to help us establish a garden in Montreal.
We are currently getting information to the area so that we can help them understand our program and what is involved.
I hope if any of you are in this area that you will contact Christina and offer your assistance at christina.baillas@videotron.ca
We are so excited about this new opportunity but sad that it took the death of a child to bring it on. We will do our best to make sure that Ryan is cared for by the many loving people in the Montreal area.
Seattle, Washington
We have been speaking with the Medical Examiners office and met with them in August 2009 and hope that we may be able to start a Garden of Innocence/Washington early next year. Kerry Hooks will be the
co-founder of Garden of Innocence/Seattle as she has been working in the area for a few years now on this endeavor.
Please email us at goiseattle@hotmail.com if you are interested in volunteering with Kerry in this new endeavor.
Sacramento, California
The Coroner of Sacramento county has requested more information on our company. We are hoping that he will approve us for a future Garden of Innocence/Sacramento. If you are interested in volunteering for Garden of Innocence/Sacramento, please email us at goinational@hotmail.com
Gifts
A casket for Quincy
Early December, I was called by a family that had just lost a baby and they had no money to bury him. I could not offer them a space in Garden of Innocence/San Diego, but what I did do was send over a casket made with love by one of our volunteers. They were thrilled to have the baby placed in such a comfortable resting bed.
Our Caskets
I got two messages last month, one from Ireland and one from Idaho that have family members getting ready to have a baby that will not survive after birth. This is so sad as they all love these little babies. They both wrote me wanting to use my design to build a casket for their little ones.
I send them the plans and feel so honored that as far away as Ireland they are building my caskets and sharing them with someone who is in need. The fellow in Ireland wants to make more and give them to families that don't have the funds to bury their child.
Our friend at the White House has offered to send military transport over to pick them up if they want to send any of the caskets to America. Another awesome gift.
We are growing and getting stronger everyday. I hope you will consider joining us in this endeavor in your state.
Elissa
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