Funeral homes don’t only do service for the deceased, they cater to the needs of the living as well as those left behind may need the most help in getting over a loss. However, this Yuletide season, Coughlin-Lastrina Funeral Home is helping out the living in a different way.
2014 marks the seventeenth year that the funeral home, owned by Sebastian Lastrina and his family, will be cooking a free Christmas meal for anyone who won’t have sumptuous feast or anyone to celebrate with during Christmas. The annual dinner will have a holiday menu of ham, roast chicken, pasta, salad, cake and cookies.
“It’s about giving back to the community that has supported me for 30-plus years,” Lastrina said in an article on Hartford Courant. “This is the most difficult time of the year to be without family or food.”
The special holiday dinner has gotten bigger over the years as more and more people have heard about the event. This year it will be held Dec. 24 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the funeral home.