Hero Among Heroes

Many would not deny that it feels good to help others, but for one local woman, Jessica Witt, 38 of Hartford, it was simply first nature.

Witt and her husband Douglas died in a house fire just one week after her newly developed Hometown Heroes project took off.

Driving through town, Witt said she noticed the many billboard ads for businesses, but started to wonder if there was a way to honor others who are making a difference.

The electronic billboard across the street from Walmart and next to Ohio County Middle School served as a way for her to do just that. The billboard will now feature the faces of local community members who are making a difference.

“A hometown hero is someone that people look up to – someone that has made an impact on people,” Witt said. “I wanted to make sure that we give them credit for putting a smile on people’s faces.”

Billboard advertise-ments at this location cost $200 per 12-second ad for a month. Prior to Witt’s passing, she had already covered funds for the first few hometown heroes to be featured on the board in the coming months, including this month’s hero, Alivia Faith Burgess.

When the project took off, Witt began working even harder at her job as a distributor for Country Scents products, to draw additional funds for the project and was urging others to donate to her fundraiser. She spoke countlessly about her efforts to spread more kindness and positivity, especially during such unforeseen circumstances.

“The world is crazy. We all need to look for the good in people – offer a helping hand or an encouraging word. She (Jessica) did all of that all the time,” Cory Hamlet, a longtime friend of Witt said.

Asking for a sign as to how to help others, Witt said she found her answer.

“This is what God told me to do,” she said.

Shortly after Witt’s passing, Hamlet decided to take over with the finances and fundraising page in efforts to keep Witt’s dream alive and going.

“I didn’t want it to fall to the wayside ... I wanted it to be all that she dreamed it would,” Hamlet said.

The billboard, “a visual representation of Jess’s giving heart,” as Hamlet called it, can be seen daily and will continue to show the heroes of our county for as long as Hamlet and the community can do so.

Due to the current unfortunate circumstances, all funds donated to Witt’s fundraising accounts are unobtainable at the moment. Hamlet has come up with funds of her own and additional money from the community to keep the project moving forward until the original funds are available again. Hamlet has created a new fundraising page and cash app account and asks that anyone wanting to contribute to the Hometown Heroes billboard project donate to the new accounts.

The current page can be found on Facebook titled Our Hometown Heroes and donations can be accepted via Facebook Pay, Cash App at http://cash.app/$JessicasHeroes or paypal at http://www.paypal.me/JessicasHeroes. Hamlet can be contacted for additional questions as well.