The Starks family is giving back to the community — and the country — in a unique and patriotic way.

The family, which owns a number of funeral homes, recently put out drop boxes at their facilities where people can drop off American flags to be retired.

Leaders say they decided to make the drop boxes available in order to offer residents of southwest Michigan a way to retire flags in a dignified manner.

The six locations include Starks & Menchinger Chapel, St. Joseph; Clark Chapel, Dowagiac; Sommerfeld Chapel, New Buffalo; Swem Chapel, Buchanan; Heritage Chapel, Berrien Springs; and Cremation Services of Southwest Michigan.

The American flags will be burned at Cremation Services of Southwest Michigan, which is owned by the Starks family, with the assistance of local veterans organizations.

Cremation Services of Southwest Michigan, which is located on Meadowbrook in Benton Harbor, has been licensed by the state to cremate flags.