THE HEALING GROVE MEMORIAL PROJECT
Bringing Healing and Hope to Our Grieving Community
Our spirits and memories are inscribed in the landscape around us - every sediment, stream, and tree holds a special meaning. The Healing Groves Memorial Project is a series of memorial plantings in celebration of the victims' lives and survivors of the December 2, 2015 terrorist attack that killed fourteen individuals and injured twenty-two more at the Inland Regional Center during a training seminar and holiday luncheon for the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health. Seven of the fourteen Healing Groves to honor each of the departed are completed; we will also dedicate a fifteenth grove to the survivors, have been planted and each Grove has a personalized marker installed by The Incredible Edible Community Garden, which also provides care and maintenance for all the groves and plans to do so in perpetuity. We will help ensure that the memories of the fallen are rooted in place for generations, and that the tree groves and vegetation we plant help counteract biodiversity loss and deforestation in California.
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"A great soul serves everyone all the time. A great soul never dies. It brings us together again and again."
— MAYA ANGELOU
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Robert Adams, 40 • Isaac Amanios, 60 • Bennetta Betbadal, 46 • Harry Bowman, 46 • Sierra Clayborn, 27 • Juan Espinoza, 50 • Aurora Godoy, 26 • Shannon Johnson, 45 • Larry Daniel Kaufman, 42 • Damian Meins, 58 • Tin Nguyen, 31 • Nicholas Thalasinos, 52 • Yvette Velasco, 27 • Michael Raymond Wetzel, 37
NICHOLAS THALASINOS
This Grove honors the memory, kindness and enduring faith of Nicholas Thalasinos. The gabion erected in honor of Nicholas' Christian Jewish faith, is an enclosure for visitation stones placed at grave sites. The act of leaving a stone is significant in Jewish bereavement practices in remembrance and respect for those who have passed on. May his cherished memory be a blessing to others.
HAL BOWMAN
This Grove, named "Hal's Place", is dedicated in loving memory to Hal Bowman, a dutiful father of two girls, whom he loved to take on enriching activities including museum trips and hiking trails. resident of Upland, California. Located at San Antonio Park, more than 75 community members attended the Grove's commemoration ceremony to celebrate his life and legacy.
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MICHAEL WETZEL
The climbing rock feature and tree grove planted around this central structure was a special theme installed in partnership with the San Bernardino County District. This Healing Grove honors Michael Wetzel, who loved to take his kids on rock climbing adventures. As a result of this interactive component, San Bernardino County worked with the Incredible Edible Community Garden to place plenty of sturdy large rocks around for kids in the community to climb on when they visit.
DANIEL KAUFMAN
This Grove celebrates Daniel's deeply altruistic personality. He operated the coffee kiosk at the Inland Regional Center, training special-needs adults on how to run a business. This Grove, located at Fergusson Park, is in the shape of an infinity sign, representing the limitless potential Daniel always saw in others - especially his trainees. The grove is beautifully adorned with 7 Chinese Pistache trees on one loop and 6 on the other loop. At the intersection is a Silk Floss tree, which was Daniel’s favorite tree.
YVETTE VELASCO
This Grove dedicated to the rich and beautiful life of Yvette Velasco, who was 27 years old. It was designed with an entrance path to a classic labyrinth that leads to the center of the Grove. The entrance path and labyrinth have stepping stones inserted into the grass as the path, and to this day, there are still smooth river rocks with messages of love from family and friends, placed nearby her center tree. The Grove has an aura of magic surrounding those who enter.
BENEDETTA BETBADAL
This heart shaped Grove is lovingly dedicated to Benedetta Betbadal, mother of three, who fled extremism and persecution in Iran at age 18. Her memorial is located on a peaceful, quiet grassy knoll at Pikes Peak Park with beautiful views of the surrounding areas and mountains in the distance. The space between the two hearts remains grassy with trees honoring her husband, children, and her parents.
ISAAC AMANIOS
This Grove is dedicated to the memory of Isaac Amanios, San Bernardino County environmental health inspector and father of three. The center tree is an evergreen fruitless olive tree and there are deep purple and white roses and several palm trees in the paths and in the center honoring his wife, children, and important family members. These selections are also indigenous to Eritrea, a country on the horn of eastern Africa, which is the
family’s homeland.
LET'S REBUILD HOPE TOGETHER
Memorial Groves are completed by dedicated groups of local volunteers and community leaders.
Get outside and make a difference in our natural areas with hands-on work including planting trees, meal preparation for dedication ceremonies, greeting and welcoming volunteers, and more! Tell us your interests/skills and we can match you with an appropriate project. After we receive your volunteer application, we will contact you and arrange for a brief phone interview. All information on this form will be kept confidential.
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Volunteers will most likely be on their feet most of the time so please remember to wear comfortable clothing that protects your arms and legs from biting insects and skin-irritants, as well as sturdy, close-toed tennis shoes for outdoor activities. Please read the FAQ below this form for additional information on behavioral and dress codes!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW MANY HEALING GROVE MEMORIALS HAVE BEEN PLANTED TO DATE?
Seven of Fourteen Healing Groves have been planted. We anticipate a total of fourteen Groves for each of the victims in the city they resided, as well as a Survivors Grove.
HOW IS EACH GROVE DESIGNED?
Every Grove is aesthetically customized to tell each person's story based on details provided by their family members and friends during the planning phase. We are committed to honoring each person's beautifully unique personality, hobbies, and cultural values.
WHO IS FUNDING THE HEALING GROVES MEMORIAL PROJECT?
The Healing Groves Memorial Project is made possible with funding from agencies such as CAL FIRE and the U.S. Forest Service, and the support from donors near and far. This includes tree care and maintenance of the Healing Groves.
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PLANTING TREES RATHER THAN ERECTING STATUES AT EACH MEMORIAL SITE?
The trees we plant represent the enduring, living legacy of each life that was taken. These trees will grow stronger and the roots will grow deeper with each generation - as will the memories they represent. Each grove is teeming new life, as carefully selected tree and bush varieties attract multiple species of colorful birds and butterflies.
WHAT IS THE VOLUNTEER DRESS CODE?
The dress code is based on common sense, comfort, and personal safety. Sturdy closed-toed shoes are required. Examples of appropriate footwear include sneakers, work, hiking, or other types of boots. Sandals, flip flops, platform shoes, heels are not permitted.
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Matching T-shirts will be provided to each volunteer on-site in order to identify you as a member of our team.
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Please wear comfortable clothes that provide protection and you don't mind getting soiled. Examples include long pants, which provide the greatest protection from cuts, scrapes, bug bites, stinging nettles, poison ivy/oak/sumac, etc.
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Lastly, we ask that volunteers avoid clothing with visible pictures, logos or sayings that may cause others to be uncomfortable or generate heated discussion.
WHAT IS THE VOLUNTEER BEHAVIORAL CODE?
Every volunteer is expected to treat themselves and others with respect and dignity while on-site. Alcohol, smoking, illicit drug use, cursing, carrying weapons of any kind are not permitted on the work site.
If someone outside of the work group asks for information about the project or anything else, please direct them to the project leader.