More than a decade ago, Kostanski Funeral Home started raising money for trees that would be planted along Greenfield streets in memory of its clients’ loved ones.
Since then, the funeral home on Federal Street in Greenfield has donated $13,000.
“That’s about 80 trees,” Greenfield Tree Committee member Mary Chicoine said. “That’s substantial.”
Chicoine said the trees are typically planted in the city’s tree belts, unless there is a homeowner willing to have one planted in their front yard. Trees have also been planted in public spaces, like the city’s parks and at Veterans Mall on Main Street, for instance.
“The Department of Public Works does the majority of planting,” she said. “The tree committee also plants several a year. We all work together.”
Originally, Kostanski Funeral Home donated to the city, but starting this year it will make its donations directly to the Greenfield Tree Committee. Meanwhile, the city will applies for grants to purchase trees.
“The committee relies heavily on donations,” Chicoine said.
Karen Larabee, co-owner of Kostanski Funeral Home, said the funeral home first started donating to the state, but soon decided it wanted to keep the trees within local communities.
“We wanted to take a community approach,” she said. “The city set up a memorial tree program and we made donations either monthly, quarterly or yearly in our clients’ loved ones’ memories.”
Larabee said the funeral home, which also has a location on Kostanski Square in Turners Falls, set up a program in Montague at the same time it set one up in Greenfield. The local business has donated about $11,000 to Montague so far.
“We give every family a card that tells them we are donating to the tree program in whichever town in their family member’s name,” she explained. “Trees don’t have plaques or anything, but we and the families know that one of the trees planted in their town was done so in honor of their loved ones.”
Larabee said Kostanski Funeral Home has put about $1,000 a year toward each town’s program.
“A tree planted in someone’s memory for all to see is beautiful and heartfelt,” she said. “A tree touches everyone in one way or another.”
The funeral home, Larabee added, “just wants to help ‘green up’ Greenfield and Montague.”
“People seem to really appreciate it,” she said.
Reach Anita Fritz at 413-772-9591 or afritz@recorder.com.