Garden of Innocence San Diego

Allan Musterer, Director of Garden of Innocence: San Diego

Join our Facebook Page

This is our largest garden with room for over 500 babies. Currently we do full burials in San Diego but eventually we will need to switch to cremations. But for now, we use only Caskets in Garden of Innocence/San Diego. To donate to Garden of Innocence San Diego, please use the QR Code at the bottom of the page or mail your check to Garden of  Innocence San Diego, P.O. Box 934, Poway, CA 92074

Volunteers are heartily invited to log into our volunteer sign up and provide information about your interest in volunteering your unique talents to support our mission. Please Use this QR code or the one at the bottom of this page.

Volunteer Sign Up QR Code

******

 To all our faithful car show registrants who have joined our car show for multiple years, you continuing support is sincerely appreciated. To all our first timers, thank you for your support! We hope you will join the other alumni and join us again next year for our 12^th Annual Car Show. You all have made a huge difference for the Garden of Innocence. 

Garden of Innocence/San Diego

P.O. Box 934 Poway, CA 92074

There are currently 239 babies resting in this garden as of February 1, 2025.

The garden is located at El Camino Memorial Park 5600 Carroll Canyon Rd, San Diego, CA

	Little girl playing in the garden during the service. We love it when children come and want to participate
Rebecca Ferguson, Director, Janet Keall & Elissa Davey, Founder
Elissa Davey, Founder and Janet Keall who was abandoned as a child in Yukon Territory Canada and known as Baby Doe then Baby Bonnie. Janet wants to see a garden in every state and county as well as across Canada so no child goes into an unmarked grave.		Knight Michael Burr
Pastor Jerry Moore- Service Coordinator for GOI San Diego		Zeke Oakley reading the poem for Bonnie
		Baby Bonnies Casket
Our statue, Rachel.		Dr. Netreia Carroll- Body pick up coordinator
		Children scattering rose petals
	Knights of Columbus approaching the garden	sometimes there are 7 Knights and sometimes there are 72
	Chain of Love

Garden of Innocence Story 

Every Child Deserves Love, Dignity, and a Name
In 1999, a baby was found in the trash in Chula Vista, California. Most people read the story and moved on—but one person couldn’t forget.
When a call to the county coroner revealed that the baby would be buried in an unmarked grave, the question arose:
“How do you claim a baby that isn’t yours?”
The answer was simple: “Show me you have a dignified place to put him.”
From that act of compassion, Garden of Innocence was born—a place where abandoned and unidentified children are laid to rest with love, dignity, and a family who cares.

Our Mission
 Garden of Innocence gives every child:
 · A name chosen with care.
· A handmade blanket and toy from loving volunteers.
· A poem written just for them.
· A handcrafted casket or urn.
 A memorial service attended by those who simply choose to care. Here, strangers become family. Communities come together. And children who were once forgotten are remembered forever.

Why It Matters
No child should leave this earth alone or nameless.
No child should rest in an unmarked grave.
Each service in the Garden reminds us of the power of compassion—the difference one person can make. The blanket maker, the poet, the carpenter—all find purpose in giving. And through quiet signs—a butterfly, a breeze, a moment of peace—we know the children feel our love.

 How You Can Help
Your generosity helps us continue to rescue and honor these children. With your support, we can build a Garden of Innocence in every state, ensuring no child goes without dignity or
remembrance.

You can help by:
· Making a donation to support burial services and supplies.
· Including the Garden in your trust or estate plan.
· Donating property, a vehicle, or other gifts that sustain our mission.
· Volunteering your time or skills to help care for a child’s final resting place.
As our thank-you, you may have the honor of naming a future baby who comes to the Garden—a simple, beautiful act of love.

Visit the Garden
 Visit your local Garden of Innocence. Sit quietly among the flowers, listen to the wind, and feel the peace that lives there.
Every child buried here is a reminder that love is stronger than loss, and compassion is never forgotten.
Together, we can ensure every child—no matter how short their life—leaves this world with the dignity of a name and the embrace of family.

Michaela’s Poem
Michaela was found in the woods on Palomar Mountain in 2001, wrapped in a handmade blanket and untouched for two years. Her story reminds us that even in stillness, love waits to be found.

 MICHAELA
Think of me when you are quick to anger,
When patience feels far away.
Think of me when compassion fades.
For the love that brought you here today
Lives within you always.
And if you ever doubt it—
Think of me.

For Donations click this blue QR code	To Volunteer click this black QR code

Babies in the Garden