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Advocacy
Protect the island. Include families. Work toward transparent, respectful stewardship.
Explore our advocacy
Remember. Protect. Advocate.
Every life
deserves
dignity.
Every person deserves to be remembered.
Help protect Hart Island, honor the people buried here, and stand with their families.
Help protect Hart Island for future generations.Add your voice
1 Million+Lives to remember
150+Years of history
3Connected pillars
Our purpose
A place of remembrance.
A future with dignity.
Friends of Hart Island is a program of Ready Aim Innovate. Through advocacy, storytelling, and family support, we work to protect dignity and ensure no family is left without a voice.
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Awareness through storytelling
Bring family voices and shared New York City history into view, with care and permission.
Hear the stories03
Family support
Help families find clear information, plan a visit, and connect with the right resources.
Find family supportThe lives we honor
Who’s buried on Hart Island?
More than one million people are buried in New York City’s public cemetery. Behind every grave is a life, a story, and often a family seeking connection.
For more than 150 years, Hart Island has been the final resting place for New Yorkers from every walk of life, including many whose stories have gone unseen or unheard.
Discover our shared historyPreserve our history
Why landmark status matters.
We advocate for permanent protections that recognize Hart Island’s historic and cultural importance and safeguard its burial grounds.
- Protect historic spaces
- Preserve cultural significance
- Include families in decisions
The people behind the numbers
Every name has a story.
A life remembered. A family heard. A connection to our shared city.
Family voices
Norberto
My father’s name was Norberto Soto. He was only thirty-eight years old when he passed away on February 1, 1993. He left behind six children who loved him and needed him. I was one of them. To me, he wasn’t just another name in the records …
Read their storyAdvocacy with families at the center
Working toward respectful stewardship.
Families deserve a voice. Hart Island deserves transparent, responsible care.
What we work to protect
- The integrity of burial grounds
- Meaningful family access
- Historic and cultural resources
- Spaces for remembrance
How we move forward
- Family and community participation
- Clear public information
- Coordinated agency responsibilities
- Open, collaborative decision-making
Follow the work
Keep the conversation going.
Find current stories, community moments, and opportunities to share our work on Instagram. Help more New Yorkers connect with Hart Island’s history and the families who remember it.
Our parent organization
Part of a broader commitment to equity.
Ready Aim Innovate provides the organizational infrastructure, resources, and operational support that allow Friends of Hart Island to focus on dignity, access, remembrance, and transparency.
Learn about our connectionYour voice matters
Help protect Hart Island’s future.
Support advocacy, bring a story into view, or stand alongside families. There is a place for you in this work.