Preston Funeral Home: Not in It for the Accolades
Sasha Bush
The Ashland Beacon
It only takes a few seconds of your time to put a smile on someone’s face. A kind compliment, a helping hand, or even just taking the time to listen to someone cannot only lift a person’s day but also inspire them to want to do the same for others. You will never truly know, nor understand the ripple effect that you can create with just one tiny gesture of kindness. Think of your act of kindness as a single droplet of water…. What happens if you drop that single little droplet into a still body of water? As soon as that one small droplet hits the water’s surface, it creates a ripple effect that silently reverberates across the surface and appears to go on without end. That is how a single act of kindness can spark an entire movement!
One locally owned, family ran business may have done just that. Jeff Preston, owner of Preston Family Funeral Home, located at 3526 State Route 5, has a love for his community like none other. Preston is a longtime resident of the area and a 1979 graduate of Fairview High School. He has always had a deep-rooted love for his community and his old high school stomping grounds. Preston even served on the Fairview school board for over 17 years and played a vital role in helping to make Fairview the great school system that we all know and love today.
Over the years, Preston has always made it a point to support and do something for the community and school system that he admires so much. Sometimes Preston’s support comes from the purchasing of ads to help local ball teams reach their fundraising goals. Other times, it may be just as simple as him writing a check to a local charity or organization within the community to those who need help the most. One thing remains the same and that is the love and pride that Preston has for his community. “This community is where my business is and it’s because of this community that my business is where it is today. So, I always try to make it a point to give back in some way whether it be to the school or a local organization needing help. I want to make sure that they know just how much I appreciate them,” declared Preston.
This year Preston started thinking outside the box and wanted to find a way to not only offer support to his community but also to the Fairview school system simultaneously. So, Preston reached out to Fairview’s District-wide Programs Coordinator, Benjamin Coleman and the two conversed on how Preston could make the biggest impact on not only school but also the community. That’s when Preston came up with a rather brilliant idea. Preston looked at Coleman and said, “How about we do this… instead of me just writing a check for something else… how about I just cover the entry fee for everyone at one of the JV/Varsity ballgames?” Coleman immediately fell in love with the idea, so the plan was put into motion.
On Jan. 14, 2023, anyone who attended the girls JV/Varsity ballgame not only got into to the game for free but also received a ticket for a free drink at the concession stand. Preston made sure to extend this amazing act of kindness to the opposing team and their fans as well. Everyone seemed to be so appreciative Preston shared. His incredibly generous act of kindness didn’t stop there. On Jan. 20, 2023, Preston did the same for anyone who attended the boys JV/Varsity basketball game. “I love this community, and I love this school. We (Fairview) have a great school system with great leadership, and I just wanted to do something to give back to the community. I am so thankful to be blessed with the means to do something like this that can hopefully leave a positive impact on the community.”
Preston hopes to create a chain reaction by doing good deeds throughout the community and stated, “You know there is a feeling that everybody gets whenever they do something good, and I want everyone to experience that feeling. The benefits of helping others may not yield fame or fortune but being in service to others was never meant to produce either of those things. Even though you may not receive any physical rewards, those that you do receive are far more valuable than any fame or fortune.” The rewards you get from putting others before yourself is the satisfaction of knowing that you may have played a small part in the lives of someone who impacted them in a big way. When we do things for the benefit of others, we all walk away with something. Preston noted, “I’m doing this for my community. I’m not doing it for the accolades.”