Alcorn student Chantel Marsaw spreads love to grieving families

Alcorn student Chantel Marsaw spreads love to grieving families

On Valentine’s Day, most people, especially couples, display their love for each other by giving bears and chocolate candies to their loved ones. Instead of spending the day of love the traditional way, Alcorn State University student and Natchez, Miss. native Chantel Marsaw decided to spread love to those who were grieving the loss of a loved one.

Marsaw and her “It Still Takes A Village” organization hosted the Valentine’s Balloon Release Memorial for more than 20 bereaved families on the Natchez bluff Sat. Feb. 14. Marsaw and members of the popular organization showered families with love and encouragement aimed at helping them cope with the pain caused by the death of those close to them.

Marsaw’s idea to do a memorial was sparked by her own struggles with processing the loss of family members.

“February is a very hard month for me,” said Marsaw. “I’ve lost several family members during this month. I recently lost my father in January, so I knew there had to be others who haven’t had a chance to grieve yet. I wanted to use Valentine’s Day to show support to whoever may have needed it.”

To Marsaw’s surprise, the memorial caused the grieving families to bond with each other like never before.

“The impact on the community shocked me. When everything was over, everyone hugged and thanked me for the memorial. There were even some tourists who approached me and shared their stories about their deceased loved ones.”