There is a difference between being in a community and being part of it, and for Conyers business owner Scot Ward that means investing in the community in honor of the customers he serves. 

In keeping with a family tradition of giving back, Ward established a community contribution program when he opened Scot Ward Funeral Services in 2005, and, as of July, his organization had contributed more than $1 million to local charities and churches. 

“That is the way I was raised by my father and grandfather, so I created a program where I could give back to the community,” Ward said. 

The Ward family has been in the funeral business since the 1950s. The family business, Horris A. Ward Funeral Home, was sold to a corporate chain in 1993. Ward remained with the company and, in 2005, purchased Harry L. White Funeral Home, the oldest licensed business in Rockdale County, and changed the name to Scot Ward Funeral Services. At that time, he made a commitment to give back 10 percent of his service fees in memory of a family’s loved one and chose Light House Village, A.R. “Gus” Barksdale Boys and Girls Club (BBGC) and Rockdale Emergency Relief (RER) as beneficiaries of the contributions. 

“These organizations do support the entire community, and they are very near and dear to my heart,” Ward said.

Under the program, contributions can be made to churches or any of the three non-profit organizations at the family’s choosing. Ward said of the $1 million donated, about 75 percent has gone to churches in Rockdale and sur