The East Bay AIDS Memorial Garden is a collaborative project in development, bringing together East Bay Getting to Zero, the Gardens at Lake Merritt, and community members.
The Garden will honor lives impacted by the HIV epidemic and celebrate the joy, resilience and strength of people living with HIV throughout the East Bay.
The purpose of the AIDS Memorial Garden is to memorialize those lost to HIV/AIDS and serve as a community healing space for people in the East Bay who have been significantly impacted by HIV, including surviving family members and friends.
The vision for our garden is to become a space for all generations to learn the history of the HIV epidemic and honor the hard-fought successes of their forebears.
The East Bay AIDS Memorial Garden will be located within The Gardens at Lake Merritt:
666 Bellevue Ave, Oakland, CA 94610
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This garden will be built as a space for individuals affected by HIV, including families and friends, to heal and connect. It honors those living with HIV, remembers those lost, and fosters intergenerational conversations about the HIV and LGBTQ+ legacies.
The East Bay boasts a rich history and diverse culture; however, there’s no monument that memorializes, honors nor recognizes HIV’s impact on the community. To address this, the POZ+ group at East Bay Getting to Zero is leading the creation of the East Bay’s first AIDS Memorial Garden.
Click on the “Donate Now” button to make an online donation to the AIDS Memorial Garden Project:
Other ways to contribute:
To Donate by Check: Please make check payable to: Community Initiatives and include East Bay Getting to Zero – Memorial Garden in the memo line of the check. Please mail check to:
Community Initiatives/EBGTZ
1000 Broadway, Suite 480
Oakland, CA. 94607
To Donate by Donor Advised Fund: Please provide your fund administrator with EIN# 94-3255070 and our address:
Community Initiatives/ EBGTZ
1000 Broadway, Suite 480
Oakland, CA. 94607
To discuss other options for sending in contributions, including non-monetary or in-kind donations: Contact Yamini Oseguera-Bhatnagar at yamini@ebgtz.org.
Background
The East Bay AIDS memorial garden project is a collaboration between East Bay Getting to Zero (EBGTZ) and the Gardens at Lake Merritt.
EBGTZ’s people living with HIV subcommittee (known as the Poz Plus working group) initiated the idea of establishing an AIDS memorial space in the East Bay in 2021. They identified a need for space that honors the East Bay HIV affected community, memorializes people lost to HIV/AIDS and inspires an environment for healing and reflection.
In 2022, with the support of the EBGTZ core team, EBGTZ steering committee, and the Oakland Mayor’s office, the Poz Plus group identified partners, stakeholders, and a space for the future garden. The East Bay AIDS memorial garden will be located within The Gardens at Lake Merritt at 666 Bellevue Ave in Oakland. Within the Gardens, it will be nestled between the Mediterranean and Bonsai Gardens, next to a waterfall, a creek and a bridge.
The collective vision for the East Bay AIDS memorial garden is that it will be an ode to people living with HIV, in memoriam of those lost to the epidemic, and a space for intergenerational connection and dialogue about the legacy of the HIV and LGBTQ+ movements.
Garden planning
Preliminary architectural design for the East Bay memorial garden was initially developed by Sera Design, an Oakland based employee-owned architectural design firm.
The garden will contain vegetation with an emphasis on native plants and pollinator species to support growth and sustainability. Additionally, the area will include educational elements discussing the history of HIV in the East Bay and an environment to invoke reflection and peace.
The Dr. Dawn K. Smith Memorial Bridge
The new bridge celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. Dawn K. Smith, MD, MPH, whose work as a champion of PrEP and as a beloved HIV/AIDS community researcher continues to inspire. The project will replace the existing bridge, which has deteriorated over time. It will be designed to integrate with the adjacent garden and waterfall area and to reference the look and feel of the newly installed tool shed. This effort represents the first phase in implementing the renewed vision for the East Bay AIDS Memorial Garden.
Ecotherapy & the AIDS Memorial Garden
The AIDS Memorial Garden seeks to support the health of our communities affected by HIV in developing a culturally-responsive Ecotherapy and anti-stigma program, with the goal of combating loneliness and social isolation. While many subpopulations are impacted by social isolation, LGBTQ+ long-term survivors of HIV, many of whom are over age 50, are particularly hard hit, as they have often lost loved ones at disproportionate rates since the 1980s. Additionally, HIV stigma, homophobia, and transphobia can weaken social connections between people living with HIV and their families and communities of origin. Learn more about the possibilities of Ecotherapy here.
We are always looking for committed community members to join our efforts.
Please join our email list to receive updates about the East Bay AIDS Memorial Garden or reach out to yamini@ebgtz.org to get involved.
The East Bay AIDS Memorial Garden is a collaborative project in development, bringing together East Bay Getting to Zero, the Gardens at Lake Merritt, and community members.
Informational Downloads
Sponsorship Packet
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