Bay Area
Garden of Innocence
This wonderful garden is located at the beautiful San Francisco Columbarium.
This wonderful garden is located at the beautiful San Francisco Columbarium. This is a treasure built in 1898. We are so thrilled to be part of the history of this incredible historic building.
If you want to leave your heart in San Francisco, this is the only place left in the city where a person can be laid to rest. The building is solely for cremated loved ones.
Mike Gunn is the director of this garden. Mike is a Senior Deputy with the San Francisco Sheriff Department.
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.
To donate to Garden of Innocence Bay Area, please use the QR Code here or at the bottom of the page or mail your check to:
P.O. Box 722
Carlsbad, CA 92018
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.
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 orremembrance.
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.
