Our vision for the garden:

Though the East Bay has lost thousands of people to HIV/AIDS since the early 1980s, unlike many metropolitan areas, our region does not currently have an AIDS memorial garden or other physical space dedicated to honoring those lost to HIV and the resilience of survivors. This AIDS Memorial Garden will provide our community with a permanent physical space for honoring loved ones and fostering healing for people living with HIV in our region. It will foster a physical space for community and healing in the heart of our region. The garden will honor the lives lost from the HIV epidemic to ensure that we never lose sight of the foundation on which East Bay Getting to Zero’s collaborative work is built.

This project will serve as a space for celebration, education, and building community. In particular, we envision the garden as a space for future generations to learn the history of the HIV epidemic and the hard-fought successes of their forebears. We hope to inspire people from groups most impacted by HIV to become leaders.

About the Process:

The East Bay AIDS memorial garden is slated to open to the public in 2024. In preparation for opening day, the AIDS memorial garden team at East Bay Getting to Zero will be engaged in planning, coordinating and organizing. We are currently in the beginning phase of this project and are constantly meeting to go over designs for the AIDS Memorial Garden. Phase 1 involves fundraising, designing, and engaging with our East Bay community to develop an initial rendering of the design, solidify our project partners, and secure approval to break ground. Our goal of $50,000 by the first quarter of 2023 will help us lay the foundation for the garden as we continue to build our already growing list of collaborators. The AIDS Memorial Garden will be a legacy landmark for our community and reaching our goal for Phase 1 will help jumpstart us to the following phases of this project. We are taking necessary steps to plan accordingly, with our goal to complete Phase 1 in early 2023 and continue into Phases 2 & 3 involving design development and construction by Fall 2023.

Who we are:

East Bay Getting to Zero is a network of diverse people from community organizations, clinics, hospitals, schools, faith-based organizations, public and private agencies in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties working together to advance health equity and healing for all people impacted by HIV through system coordination, advocacy, capacity building and innovation. Stay connected by signing up for our monthly newsletter here.