In February, the Department of Social Services opened its doors at 300 E. Franklin Street. The building is now the primary location for Social Services. Southside Plaza will continue to offer application support and basic customer service, but the Marshall Street location is completely closed. 

The opening was years in the making. “The vision for a new location predates identifying 300 E. Franklin as our new space,” says Kelley Brown, the Trauma-Informed Care and Resilience Manager for DSS. “We’ve spent the last 2 to 3 years convening employee-led workgroups to ensure that all aspects of our relocation were informed by employee feedback, with client service at the center. [Director] Shunda Giles encouraged us to vision and dream big in terms of what the best solutions to our physical space needs and challenges were.” 

DSS staff conducted field visits to other spaces, researched best practices, and were closely involved in the planning and design process. Executive Assistant Linda Durant sums it up: “It has definitely been a very long journey.” Kelley and Linda share some of their favorite things about the new space:  

• The entrance is designed to feel welcoming . “The light and brightness of the space really make a difference, coming in and seeing our navigators right away creates a welcoming feeling.” Linda says. “DSS meets people in the most vulnerable points of their lives, and they might not be feeling good about the reason they’re here. When you come in and see a space that is thoughtful, open and bright it helps restore a sense of dignity; it helps people feel a little better about the reason they’re here. Our staff works hard to be welcoming and engaging. We want it to feel like a no judgment zone, where everyone is treated with the respect they deserve.” Kelley adds that the new layout is about efficiency in addition to warmth. The new set up helps the customer service process move more quickly!
• The visitation suite was designed to feel safe, warm, and welcoming for children and families. Kelley explains that DSS uses that suite for visitation and child welfare-related team meetings. “From a layout standpoint, that suite supports positive family connections and trauma-sensitive interactions,” she says. “And they’re really playful and inviting—we were able to work with designers to add touches that are child and youth-centered. Shunda’s vision was for some of the rooms in the suite to feel more like a living room, and less like a conference room, which enhances the visitation experience.”
• The space treats both clients and staff with dignity. Kelley is proud of the “staff-focused self-care spaces,” like wellness rooms where staff can attend to physical needs that crop up throughout the workday, including lactation-related needs. Staff also have access to Resilience Rooms, which are designed to support employee mental and emotional well-being in the workplace.
• It’s a testament to DSS leadership and philosophy. Kelley praises Shunda Giles for her vision and effort. “Our Director worked day in and day out to make this happen. She advocated for the needs of our clients and the department at every step of the process.” And because of Shunda’s vision, the move isn’t just about short-term change. “It’s cementing the vision that Shunda came to the department with: Build to Last. It’s not just about the building, it’s a promise. A promise to serve with compassion and to create an environment where everyone is respected, supported, and empowered to thrive.” 

Kelley and Linda encourage all residents to learn more about Social Services. “We can never anticipate when we ourselves or someone we know might need the support of a safety net, whether we’re raising a family, encounter adversities that impact our basic needs, or as we’re aging. We all need to know what DSS offers, both for ourselves and for others,” Kelley says. Explore more at the Department of Social Services webpage. 

Richmond is celebrating National Procurement Month , a great opportunity to learn what our City’s Procurement team does.  

What is Procurement?   

A city needs a lot of stuff to operate! This can include anything from salt and sand for treating roads, to construction contracts, to the big scissors you see at ribbon cuttings. Procurement is the process of getting that stuff. A Procurement department facilitates buying, renting, preparing and awarding contracts, inventory control, and disposal operations, among other things.  

Why does a City need a Department of Procurement?   

“I like to think of us as the keeper of the gate from the process perspective,” says Deputy Director Scott Lyons.” Everyone who works at the City should be a steward of taxpayer dollars, and our department’s mandate is really to focus on how that money is spent and to whom it is paid.”   

Scott says that while individual departments are the experts in what they need, Procurement staff are the experts in how to get what departments need.  

“Our job is to make sure that when agencies go out and buy things, they are making fair and consistent decisions. They’re not buying from someone who isn’t qualified. And we want to get good stuff for a good cost in time. We spend a lot of time thinking about efficiencies.”  

Procurement staff also think ahead when departments have to be focused on the work at hand. Contracting Officer Daniel Mullery says that Procurement pays attention to regular and consistent needs so that they can create contracts in advance. “We had a road salt contract six months before winter weather—things like that so we can get out ahead of problems,” he says.  

Who works for our Procurement department?   

In Richmond, Procurement is split into two teams: The contracting side handles the City’s requests for proposals and contract bidding. “We want to make sure our bidders have a fair shot for bids they’re qualified for and that the public and vendors can have confidence that the best person for the job is going to get it,” Scott explains. “We also want to encourage as much competition as is practical. Competition drives prices down, but just as importantly, it helps us connect with new vendors and ideas.” Procurement works closely with the City’s Office of Minority Business Development to make sure that small and minority businesses are fairly included in the bidding process. 

On the operational side, procurement experts help suppliers register so that they can do business with the city. This team includes an outreach program that connects Richmond’s wide network of vendors to possible opportunities for City work and training services that work with both City staff and vendors to educate them on procurement procedures.  

Where can I learn more about Procurement, either as a resident or a potential vendor?  

Visit the Procurement website for information about becoming a supplier or competing for bids and updates on the City’s p-card progress. Scott especially hopes you’ll check out the “About Us” section for more on Procurement’s charge and mission: “We want the public to know that someone is always looking out for them!” 

If Richmond’s Urban Forestry team wants you to know one thing about their work, it’s that they’re coming to the more than 120,000 public trees around our city with tons of experience.  

“We’re not just guys out there with chainsaws cutting things down for fun. We’re professionals,” says Operations Superintendent Sam Lilly.   

Our Urban Forestry team has four Certified Arborists, including Sam, and a Board Certified Master Arborist in Urban Forester Michael Webb! Their work involves major storm response, preparing trees for City events—like the current implementation of new red light speed cameras near schools—and yes, responding to 311 service requests.  

For Michael, 311 requests are about triage. Just like in a hospital’s emergency room, it’s important to know what concerns are serious but less time-sensitive, and which are immediately urgent. That assessment can also change quickly. “Even more than sidewalks and potholes, our requests can be more dynamic. The urgency can change based on weather,” he says.  

If you notice a tree in the public right of way that looks dangerous, or there are tree limbs down in that public right of way, here’s what happens when you call 311 or submit a service request at rva311.com:  

Step #1: Service request created. A 311 agent will file the service request and direct it to Urban Forestry as a “request for assessment.” You’ll get a service request number that you can reference if you call or message for updates.  

Step #2: Assessment. Urban Forestry dispatches one of their two certified city arborists to the location. This first visit is an assessment, or that triaging Michael describes. “Our arborists will determine based on experience and training what the best course of action is for that tree,” Sam says. “You run into a thousand different things once you get out there and see what’s actually going on.” Urban Forestry tries to complete this first assessment within ten days of receiving the request. 

Step #3: Planning and scheduling. If the arborist decides that action is needed, the project goes into Urban Forestry’s workflow. “We have to manage budget and logistics and safety to determine what happens next,” Sam explains. “Front and center is that we base on schedules on public safety and hazard abatement.” Scheduling varies depending on the urgency of the issue, contractor and team schedules, and current weather events.  

Step #4: Completion and close-out . Once the project comes up the queue—which can vary depending on those scheduling elements—a city team or contractors go out and complete the recommended work. Your service request is marked as resolved! 

From the operations managers all the way to crews and contractors, the Urban Forestry team is prepared to take on critical work in a way that is safe, efficient, and responsive to our biggest community needs. To learn more about their work (including cool things like planting permits), check them out online. 

"Our Citizen Service & Response department (better known as 311!) has continued its focus on delivering top notch customer service. They have been invaluable partners in improving interdepartmental communications. They have done an incredible amount of training, and they are piloting new technology, so every resident gets faster, clearer, more transparent service than ever before.  

Every week, I receive emails or phone messages from constituents who had had such positive experiences with 311 that they were compelled to reach out to me.  And I’ve made a habit of reading some of those constituent letters at our weekly cabinet meetings as a reminder that this slow, hard, culture changing work is making a difference to our residents.  

We will always have more work to do, but we are making clear and tangible progress, and I’m grateful –especially on 311 Day-- to the whole CSR team for their amazing commitment to serving customers well."

-Mayor Danny Avula

March 11 was 311 Day, but at the City of Richmond, every day is 311 Day! The staff who make up Citizen Service and Response are on the go 6 days a week to make sure that residents facing challenges have an immediate point of contact at the City. All non-emergency calls for help with City services come through 311. 

“Anyone calling needs help with something, and some are in really stressful situations,” says Director Pete Breil. “So our goal is to be that empathetic listener who can help them navigate the City.”  

Operations Manager Allan Hampton says that in addition to empathy, breadth of knowledge is a 311 superpower. “We don’t know everything about anything, but we know something about everything,” he says.  

311’s strengths and values are exemplified by TyAona Connor, who joined the Call Center about a year ago. “TyAona is extremely passionate about helping folks get to an end for whatever their concern is,” Allan says. “She’s very structured in what she does and how she does it, so she’s quick to resolve things.” 

TyAona has worked at other call centers, but what she likes best about 311 is being able to connect with Richmond residents. “When they call in, you’re like a parent, teacher, and counselor. Every call is different. A lot of times we submit the ticket, but we also hear what they need beyond that single service request. I try to put myself in their shoes and let them vent, but then we’re going to bring it back in and get the job done.” 

Most days, TyAona clocks in at 10:30 a.m. and finishes up at 7 p.m. During a single day, she can take close to 80 calls from residents. “I don’t like to see calls sitting in the queue, so I rock my day out,” she says.  

TyAona wishes more residents calling into 311 knew two things:  

311 documents and process your request, but these operators can’t resolve it themselves. “We do a lot of expectation setting,” TyAona says. “We do as much as we can, but we don’t have access to all of your Finance or Social Services records.” When 311 operators submit a ticket, it goes to the relevant department (keep reading for an inside look at how Urban Forestry processes service requests about trees!) 

The voice on the other end of the line is a person—and often a Richmond resident just like you. TyAona says callers are often surprised to learn that she lives in Richmond, and that many of the things they call about impact her, too. “Transparency is a huge thing. People want to know that they’re talking to another human,” she says.  

If you’re experiencing a non-emergency issue related to billing, city services, or a range of other issues, call 311 or submit a request at rva311.com or through the mobile app (available for both iOS and Android). If you put in a call, you might be speaking with TyAona or one of her colleagues. “And I’m gonna make sure that you are happy and resolved and that you love the City of Richmond by the time you get off the phone!” she promises. 

Hey, Richmond,  

It’s your mayor, Danny. As we close out Black History Month, I have a single story I want to share with you today. It’s the story of Richmond’s historical African American cemeteries and the people who have dedicated years of their lives to reclaiming these sacred spaces.  

It’s also a story of what happens when committed community members bring their needs to local government—and local government listens. I have been particularly proud to witness the work our Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities has done to listen these partners and to step into this reclamation work by centering their experience and wisdom.  

In short, it’s the story of Richmond at its finest—what happens when we determine together that we are ready to learn from and reckon with our history and to uplift the stories and lives that history all but erased.  

As you meet the Friends of East End, the Parks and Rec cemetery maintenance crew, and the Richmond Descendants Council below, I hope you’ll reflect on the role we all play in creating a city that can support that work. And yes, part of that support is financial. With a budget introduction around the corner, one way you can continue supporting important initiatives like this one is by getting and staying informed about the City’s budget process so that you can advocate for the issues that matter most to your communities. There are two more opportunities to participate in our Budget Town Halls this Saturday, February 28, and if you can’t make it in person, you can complete a virtual option and survey to share your budget priorities. It’s all available to you at go.rva.gov/engage--visit to participate in the survey or to register for a town hall. I’ll hope to see you there!  

-Danny 

The first day that Brian Palmer and his wife Erin Hollaway visited East End Cemetery, they entered an area they’d previously assumed was just second growth forest.  

“It was December 13, 2014, and there were hunters there,” Brian recalls. “They had this sense of entitlement in this sacred space. But just because a cemetery is overgrown doesn’t mean it’s been desacrilized or turned into a hunting ground. So the police escorted the hunters out and the Boy Scouts we were with came in.” 

Brian was there to take photos and record audio, but Erin jumped in to help pull vines. And then she convinced Brian to return to pull vines. And then she convinced him to go back again.  

“That’s when we realized, this isn’t just extreme gardening. When you read the headstones, you begin to recognize what has been nearly erased with structural neglect. It was a revelation to me, to see people who were, in some distant sense, my distant ancestors. And actually, Erin discovered two of my ancestors later. We realized if we just cleared the brush, what would happen? It would grow back up. What mattered was to clear the brush, reclaim the stories, and tell people that these are sites of history and memory and they are critical to understanding our city, our state, and our nation. That’s what’s driven us through all of these years.” 

Cemeteries like East End and Evergreen, along with their counterparts at Forest View, Shockoe Hill, and Barton Heights, were established in the 19th century for both enslaved and free African Americans. They’re designated as “inactive” spaces either because they are full or because they’ve fallen into disrepair, the effect of decades of underfunding and minimal to no care.  

Cemeteries like East End and Evergreen were established in Richmond after 1865. They were established for the Black community, including formerly enslaved people, because white segregationist governments enacted laws that segregated races in both life and death. “Jim Crow followed African Americans to the grave,” Brian says. “Black folk didn’t set up these burial grounds just because they simply wanted a place of their own but because they were actively excluded from burial grounds closer to the city.”  

Info box: In 2017, the Virginia General Assembly passed some of the first legislation to grant funding to African American burial sites, while Confederate cemeteries had accessed similar funding since the Civil War. That funding history is an important foundation for understanding the differences in appearances between East End, Evergreen, and historically white cemeteries like Hollywood.  

By the time Brian and Erin arrived at East End, efforts to restore and protect African American cemeteries were years old. Brian credits National Park Service ranger Jim Bell, now retired, and Marvin Harris, founder of the restoration effort at Henrico County’s Woodland Cemetery, with early work to restore Evergreen, and John Shuck began what would eventually become Friends of East End in 2013. But while the labor was there, the institutional support wasn’t. 

“The Friends realized that the only force that could clear and then maintain these cemeteries would be a public institution,” Brian says. “When a city, a state, a nation owns a cemetery, they take on the responsibility.” 

Wrapped up in the soil of these places: The Descendants Council of Greater Richmond Virginia  

Another group was coming to the same realization that public governance was necessary. Maurice Fountain, current Secretary of the Descendants Council of Greater Richmond Virginia says the Council formed in 2020 largely “in response to issues with the prior ownership at Evergreen and East End.” President Peighton Young agrees: “Before 2024, a lot of responsibility for maintaining these spaces had fallen on an owner that wasn’t stewarding the sites or resources well. The City came in in 2024 and had the foundation of being a publicly accountable institution.” 

Peighton explains that the Descendants Council advocates and educates. They work with partners from the city to our universities to conduct research, and develop signage and memorialization strategies, and they do so from a place of lived experience and family history.  

“Descendants’ lineage is wrapped up in the soil of these places,” Maurice says. “Having the voices of those who have those direct connections is important. They can give the perspective of how they want their ancestors to be honored and remembered as the spaces are maintained.” 

Organizations working with and in the cemeteries have a lot of overlap—Maurice is a member of the Descendants Council and Friends of East End, for example—but before 2023, one important partner was missing from the table.  

“The biggest change was when the City acquired Evergreen, East End, and Forest View, and having Parks and Rec be the point of contact and making connections with the Council and the Friends,” says Peighton. “There’s been improvement in relationships and communication. There are obviously groups that have been at these places for years now, and the bolstering of city resources has helped with progress. We’re building lasting relationships where the generations after us won’t have to deal with the same kinds of problems.” 

The new chapter: City of Richmond ownership and collaboration  

By 2022, the nonprofit Enrichmond, which had owned or managed several of these spaces had dissolved. Prior to its dissolution, community members were already voicing concern about the organization’s management of these sacred sites.  

“Friends of East End had devoted itself to holding the Enrichmond Foundation accountable,” Brian, who’s also a cofounder of the Descendants Council, says. “City, state, and federal agencies were all funding it, which was disconcerting to us, since it wasn’t meeting the needs of these very important memorial sites. We wanted public officials to explain why they kept funding these people. After a while, the City of Richmond really came around. And this is what is so wonderful and remarkable about the City of Richmond but particularly Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities: They listened. They talked with us. We talked  a lot . They handed over records that explained to us what was going on. And then the City made the decision to cut off funding. That cleared the way, I think for the responsible management of these sites.” 

But the City didn’t just step in. Peighton recalls that in 2023, the Descendants, the Friends, and other community members began meeting with the Parks and Rec team once or twice a month. “Within the first couple of sessions, we created a series of committees that were hybrids of City officials, Friends organizations, the Descendants Council, and some affiliate supporters like the Richmond Cemetery Collaboratory. We created a legal committee to make sure the title transfer was finalized. And all of these people became new team members. We got to start with a clean slate in the midst of a project that has had challenges.”  

Brian thanks Parks and Rec Director Chris Frelke and City Councilmember Cynthia Newbille for spearheading this effort. “We give credit where credit is due: They were ready to listen, talk, and discuss, and figure out with us what was in the realm of possibility for these long abused but incredibly valuable jewels of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the nation.” 

Chris Frelke echoes the value of listening and committing to this work: “This is one of the most important responsibilities I have as a Director is to help steward these spaces to where they need to be. It’s such a powerful story of how the city and the state are trying to atone for what’s happened. These sacred burial grounds need to be a place of healing,” he says. “I think our community partners realize that they have the muscle of the City behind them, so we’re really making a lot of progress and headway.”  

Councilmember Newbille, who represents Richmond's East End 7th District, also celebrates the partnership and progress. "Reclaiming, restoring, maintaining, and preserving our sacred historic African American cemeteries, where our city's ancestors were laid to rest, requires on-going collaboration and action. I am proud and supportive of the collaboration of our City, Friends groups, the Descendants Council, residents, and other stakeholders who continue to share in this righteous and hallowed mission." 

Cemetery maintenance at the City of Richmond  

One of the tasks of the community groups assembled during those early dialogues in 2023 was to support the hiring process for a Cemeteries team at the City. The job was no easy feat: Each person who works at the cemeteries is equal parts groundskeeping expert, archivist, and storyteller. They understand that the work they do, whether it’s clearing brush or fighting off invasive species, is really about honoring the lives that came to rest in these places. 

“The African American history and culture of these spaces have been largely forgotten,” says Kimberly Jackson, the City of Richmond’s Community Engagement Manager for the Cemeteries program. “These are sites of memory, markers of systemic racism and resilience. Our ancestry needs to be known and recognized. We all take pride in our work and love what we do.” 

The dedicated cemetery maintenance crew manages almost a hundred acres of cemetery space across the city. These spaces include active cemeteries that still accept burials, as well as inactive cemeteries like East End, Evergreen, Forest View, and Barton Heights, among others. 

Maxfield Shea is the senior groundskeeper for the cemeteries. “Across the country, historically African American cemeteries have experienced disruptions to care due to racist public policies and development intended to harm black communities,” he explains. “There is now a broad movement to engage communities restoring these spaces.” 

In the summer, groundskeepers like Maxfield, Rashawn Jones, and Zyon Wyatt cut grass and perform general maintenance. In the winter, they can turn their attention to restorative efforts. Zyon has been with the team since 2020. When he started, his team was tasked with restorations efforts at Oakwood Cemetery. Now, he spends most of his time at Evergreen Cemetery. The team explains that the physical labor can be strenuous (not to mention filled with bugs, bees, and the occasional snake) but that uncovering new headstones and reconnecting them with living descendants make the hard work worthwhile. 

“It’s important to uphold the integrity of this history and for the city to keep it alive,” Rashawn shares. “People like Maggie Walker (Evergreen) and Annie Giles (Oakwood) deserve recognition for all they’ve done. When I go out there, I keep that in mind. It feels good to be a part of what’s right.” 

Peighton also credits this team with equipping community members and the Descendants Council in particular with the new tools and information. “They’ve hosted invasive plant species seminars for us so we can make better informed decisions about what needs to be cut back and left from both an ecological and cultural perspective. Between late 2022 and now the difference from my perspective has been night and day. Kimberly and her team really make themselves resources and presences.”  

Volunteer Program Coordinator Priscilla Wright works with community groups and volunteers who want to support the massive project. During the MLK Day of Service in January, volunteers went to many cemetery locations, including Forest View Cemetery to help sort and catalog objects that have been located there. They found things like seashells, bottles, and children’s toys. “You would think it’s an empty lot,” said Priscilla. “But these things aren’t just trash. We’re archiving everything just in case a family left things—like a favorite drink or a newspaper clipping—at a gravesite. Cataloging them is a critical first step in making sure they are preserved responsibly and interpreted with dignity and accuracy.” 

Looking forward: Telling the story  

Everyone who spends time at East End, Evergreen, or another African American cemetery in Richmond comes away with the same reflection: the physical labor of clearing and the deep community work of reinvigorating the stories of folks buried in these spaces go hand in hand.  

“We’ve always considered the reclamation and restoration to be a two-pronged thing,” Brian says. “The physical work of weeding and hauling out garbage, that’s one part. But for the work to really resonate and having meaning, you have to reclaim the stories of the people who are buried there and trace their connection.” He recalls a day working with City maintenance crews when Maxfield calculated that their team had cleared 11,000 pounds of brush. What that really meant was that more families had access to their loved ones’ gravesites. 

“What an opportunity to show who Richmond was from the 1890s to the time where they fell into disrepair. It’s a rich story, and it contains plenty of tragedy but also tremendous amounts of wonder,” Brian reflects. 

To be a part of the story now is the call for all Richmonders. Everyone, no matter your skill set, can play a role in reclaiming and re-narrating our city’s history, and that’s possible because of the sustained collaboration across institutions, organizations, and community members.  

Brian says that even if you’re not physically able to volunteer, learning about the progress and paying our respects to these sites are important contributions. “What we need now is for people to understand that there is genuine collaboration and that whatever happened in the past is in the past. That’s as simple and as basic as I can put it. There will be no miraculous, marvelous transformation, but we’ve been chugging away and it really is wonderful now to have a government partner that is taking that restoration seriously.”  

What’s up next?  These organizations are currently collaborating on Cultural Landscape Studies at Forest View and East End/Evergreen to plan ahead for their preservation. Kimberly most wants residents to know that “reclamation doesn’t happen overnight. This work is years in the making.” The Descendants Council is also working on new signage for some of the cemetery sites to help visitors make sense of what they experience.  

How do I learn more about the Friends or the Descendants Council?  Visit their social media presences (@descendantscouncil and @friendsofeastend on Instagram) or the Friends of East End website. You can also contact the Friends of East End at friendsofeastend@gmail.com or the Descendants Council at descendantscouncilva@gmail.com.  

How can I support?  “Volunteers aren’t just cleaning a site—you’re contributing to the long-term preservation of Richmond’s history and helping build a more complete historical record,” Priscilla says. If you want to participate, check out and sign up for available opportunities at www.cfengage.org. You can also contact Priscilla (804-646-4329; priscilla.wright3@rva.gov) or Kimberly (804-646-7104; kimberly.jackson2@rva.gov) for group or corporate opportunities. 

Thank you!  The Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities extends its deepest gratitude to the dedicated volunteers who continue to support the reclamation and preservation of these sacred burial grounds. Your commitment, compassion, and willingness to serve ensure that these sites are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. Through your partnership, Richmond’s history is being preserved with care, integrity, and reverence for generations to come. 

Evergreen and East End through the years

1891: Evergreen Cemetery founded. 

1897: East End Cemetery established.  

2013: Volunteer clean-up efforts begin at East End Cemetery, led by John Shuck.  

2017: Friends of East End established as an all-volunteer non-profit. 

2019: Friends of East End reaches more than 10,000 volunteer visits at the cemetery. 

2020-2021:  The Descendants Council of Greater Richmond Virginia organizes to assert the rights of relatives of the deceased laid to rest at East End Cemetery—then privately owned—and members of the broader African American community to have a role in determining the burial ground’s future.  

2022: The Enrichmond Foundation—a non-profit organization with management over Evergreen, East End, and Forest View cemeteries—dissolves.  

2023: The City of Richmond’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities begins hosting community conversations to figure out the best next step for ownership and maintenance of the spaces.  

2024: The City of Richmond assumes ownership of East End, Evergreen, and Forest View Cemeteries. City leadership continues dialogue with Friends of East End, the Descendants Council, and other concerned citizens. City workers join the Friends in the hands-on work of reclaiming and restoring the cemeteries.  

2025: Launch of the City of Richmond’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities’ Cemeteries Community Engagement Program. The City hires dedicated staff to care for its inactive burial grounds, strengthening long-term maintenance, preservation, and community partnership efforts.