Local businessman John Darst, who’s also a board member of the East Montgomery County Scholarship Foundation (EMCSF), has found a way for families making difficult end-of-life plans to help future generations with education plans. Darst, who owns Darst Funeral Home, recently created a program that benefits all involved.
When a family decides on a plan for their future funeral arrangements, the total cost of the funeral will be discounted by up to $3,500 when they choose to donate the discounted amount to the EMCSF, a nonprofit charitable organization.
“As I have become more involved in the East Montgomery County Scholarship Foundation as a board member, I wanted to find ways to help the students right here in our community,” said Darst. “Since Darst Funeral Home first opened, one of our main missions is to give back to families in our community. The kids are our future, so this program is a way to help them and help families pre-plan their funeral arrangements which makes it easier in the long run.”
The EMCSF was created by the East Montgomery County Improvement District in 2004 to promote the economic, social and cultural development of the area through education. Through the EMCSF, two scholarships are available to students who graduate or receive a GED within EMCID’s boundaries. The scholarships include a $1,600 scholarship for all students and a $500 merit-based scholarship for current college students.
Students have up to two years to claim the $1,600 scholarship. Applications for the merit-based scholarship are due by March 1. Both applications can be found at www.emctx.com/scholarships/applications. The Foundation is led by board members Brenda Webb, chair, Darst, Creg Mixon, Dan Muirhead, Katherine Persson, Cassandra Rincones, Fred Wetz and Isidor Ybarra.