Garden of Innocence was founded by a wonderful group of people in San Diego, California in 1998. Elissa Davey is credited with being the founder but that was not the case. There were eight people there that first day to make all the decisions and make that garden grow. after reading an article about a baby boy who was found in a trash can on a local college campus in Chula Vista, California, Elissa decided to take action and do something about it. Many times, we run across stories like these, only to think about it for a short time and eventually forget and move on with our daily lives.
This little baby constantly pricked the heart of Elissa for over a month, not allowing her to "forget". Finally she called the San Diego County Medical Examiner to obtain more information about the status of the little baby she had read about. She was politely informed that the little baby boy was still there waiting to be claimed. She was told if no one comes to claim him he would go into an unmarked grave at Mt. Hope Cemetery. Elissa asked the San Diego County Medical Examiner to explain to her the proper procedures on claiming an abandoned baby. He said, "Show me you have a dignified place to put him!"
About one year later, a "Dignified Place" was established. Since that time every baby declared abandoned or unidentified in San Diego County has been released to Garden of Innocence. Garden of Innocence/San Diego was our first garden, leading the way to start other gardens so no other infant is sent home without someone who cared.
Dr. Pastor Netreia Carroll, (known as Mother Theresa of San Diego) has partnered with Elissa Davey to set the ground for Gardens in every state and around the world. Her insight and care for the underprivileged has given her a great compassion to do what is right. Her mission is to bury the dead, serve the sick, feeds the poor and aid those who are in need worldwide. She has a positive outlook on everything God has created and she reaches out to those, through her ministry, that need it most of all.
Dr. Carroll pastors the Shabach House Ministries in San Diego and also is the founder and president of three non-profit organizations. Shaback Inc, Mother Theresa San Diego Inc, and Shabach International Ministries (www.shabach.org). Dr. Carroll owns two businesses, affordable Publishing (a full service Christian book publishing company), and Crown and Glory (Hair and Nail salon). She holds a bachelor degree in Science and doctorate in Religious Arts and Biblical Studies. Pastor Carroll has two adult biological children, one adopted adult Eritrean daughter, and her two added "heartbeats", as she calls them; twin boys. She is a television station channel 10 Leadership Award recipient, Ms. Southern California 1998 and was honored by the City of San Diego with a proclamation honoring a day in her name in remembrance for all her hard work serving the community.
Pastor Dr. Netreia Carroll Ph,D.
(619) 804-3050
Elissa Davey is a realtor for Real Living Lifestyles Real Estate and sells homes in the San Diego area. She does more than sell the home. She makes each client her friend. She helps them paint, pack and move in. She offers her home to those in transition and moves them in with her until their home is ready. She goes the extra mile. She is also a Practitioner with Church of Religious Science and is an ordained non-denominational minister. She doesn't want to be a minister with a church, she just wants to marry, bury and mentor.
She has two sons, Michael & Dominic and four grandchildren and one great grandson. She loves to spend her free time doing genealogy and helping others trace their own roots. She recently completed her dream of going to England to "Walk Where They Walked". She has felt a connection with England since she was young and now realizes that her Cornish roots run deeper into her soul then she had expected. She felt like she had come home. She also works as a volunteer with RaOGK.com (Random acts of Genealogy Kindness) where she helps people find their family connections as her act of kindness. She assists Dr. Carroll in many of her community outreach programs, especially when it is giving food and other needed items to the less fortunate.
She likes to work on her little house to make it feel like a welcoming place to come.
Elissa Davey
760-805-9058
goinational@hotmail.com or endavey1@gmail.com
Many thanks to the following wonderful people who gave of themselves for our first Garden in San Diego. They came up with the name "Innocence" as described in Webster's Dictionary as "Without Worldy Experience". Perfect!
Sue Miller of Poway, Ca now Houston, TX
Rebecca Melendez of Mira Mesa, CA
Kelly Paradise of El Cajon, CA
Martha Holloway of Ocean Beach, CA
Ken Holloway of Ocean Beach, CA
Without these seven wonderful people there would be no Garden of Innocence.
Thank you all so very much,
Elissa
|
