Faith Funeral Home held its 5th annual Festival of Giving on Tuesday, December 12, from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m.
A free event, the public was invited to share holiday cheer while enjoying food and drink, with musical entertainment provided by Havana’s own Anna Wescoat.
On display in the chapel were community donated non-perishable food items for families in need and under a large Christmas tree were piles of toys for children who might not otherwise receive gifts this holiday season.
“The purpose of the event is to bring our community together to share the holiday season,” said Faith owner Edna Hall. “We started this as something to heal. We wanted families to see our funeral home as a place of healing. This is something that was suggested to us by my daughter. She said people feel better when they are helping others. Good point, I thought. So that’s how it started. It’s been five years now, and each year it gets better.”
Faith Funeral home works with three charities, Community Cares, The Havana Police Department, and Senior Transitions, a home health care organization.
“We try to promote fellowship,” said Hall. “We just want you to come, enjoy, and reflect. There’s no pressure. It’s just neighbors helping each other out. This is our gift back to the community for allowing us to serve them, and that’s hugely important to us.”
Stephen Klein – Gadsden County News Service