Losing a loved one is tough to deal with throughout the year, but for many it's even more tough as they spend more time with family during the holiday season. Our Vince Slomsky shines a light on a remembrance service designed to help families through the grieving process.

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"There's a symbol with candles that in the midst of the darkness you still have that candle that lights up everything and so we try to tell our families to remember that in the grieving process," said Sandi Follette, executive director of the Grief Center of the Southern Tier.

Close to 300 people gathered in the Victory Highway Wesleyan Church for the 12th annual Service of Remembrance to light a candle for someone who has passed away. It was held by the Grief Center of the Southern Tier, Phillips Funeral Home and Carpenter's Funeral Home. For many, lighting a candle is a yearly tradition.

"We come out tonight every year at this time to remember my parents and my husband’s parents. It's a very special time of year for us. I feel that this is their time that I'm giving up to remember them by," said Linda Evans of Gang Mills.

The organizers of the remembrance say this time of year is crucial in the grieving process.

"Because we're so surrounded around family, that empty chair is really noticed more at Christmas and Thanksgiving," said Follette.

The guests were encouraged to take a candle home with them after the service and continue to light it throughout the holidays.

"Every time we light that candle it brings back the ceremonies that we've come to here and it gets us through another year until the next year," said Evans.

The organizers also say talking about their loved ones will help in the process too. This year's Service of Remembrance was the biggest yet as around 300 candles were lit.