DeWitt eager to usher in new group of SAC leadership

Since its inception more than three decades ago, Holmes County Share-a-Christmas has been a shining beacon in the county as it displays the incredible giving hearts and compassionate people of Holmes County that has blessed thousands of people throughout its history.

One of the amazing things about the organization is that most of those who initiated the program as people know it today remain vital cogs in the ongoing success.

With many of its leaders in critical roles having served in their respective capacities for so long, it is commonplace to hear people describe SAC as a “well-oiled machine,” where every year people simply do their part like they’ve done it many times prior.

One of those people is Steph Ditmars, who basically lives at the Baker Building at Harvest Ridge for the month-plus before Christmas Delivery Day in early December.

Ditmars has been with SAC for long enough that she isn’t even sure how many years it’s been.

However, the one thing she realizes is that as the current group of leaders of the various groups grows older, a new injection of youth needs to step in and seize the day in learning the ropes.

“So many people have been doing this for so many years,” Ditmars said. “It is something that seems to just roll along each year without issue, but the fact is, we need new young blood to step in and assume some of the responsibilities because us old folks can’t keep doing this forever.”

Thus, it was with great joy that she welcomed a new face into the fold in Madeline DeWitt.

The former West Holmes High School graduate moved to Columbus for a while and quickly realized that she missed the caring quality of people who are abundant in Holmes County.

She also knew that one thing she wanted to be part of was committing herself to community service, and what better way than to throw herself into the mix with Share-a-Christmas, an organization that touches the lives of so many people in the county.

“It’s been so much fun to work with Maddie,” Ditmars said. “She is so enthusiastic and full of energy, and she wants to get involved with the community and help others any way she can.”

DeWitt called Cindy Taylor at Share-a-Christmas and expressed an interest in getting involved, and Taylor quickly passed along DeWitt to Ditmars. The two quickly meshed and a new and eager budding leader was ushered into SAC.

“As a realtor, it’s our number one priority to give back to the community because they give to us,” said DeWitt, who works for Tina Owens, owner of Owens Real Estate Firm of Big Prairie.

DeWitt said her goal for next year was to put in more than 100 hours of community volunteer work, and SAC is certainly going to give her a chance to complete a big chunk of those.

Having experienced Columbus, DeWitt said she realized that living in a community in which many people have built relationships and grown to know each other is a positive. She said few people looked out for one another there, something that is commonplace in Holmes County.

“Here, people genuinely care about how you’re doing and people invest in each other’s lives,” DeWitt said. “I was really drawn to come back because of that giving, caring attitude of the people in Holmes County.”

As for eventually taking on the role Ditmars currently undertakes, Dewitt said it has been a crash course in learning the ropes and understanding the sheer volume of work that goes into the planning of the event.

“When I first started this past year, I had no idea the amount of work that this takes,” DeWitt said. “But there’s no reason and no excuse that younger people my age shouldn’t be investing in Share-a-Christmas.”

With thousands of gifts, tens of thousands of canned goods products, dry goods and paper products to organize and loads of behind-the-scenes work that goes into the process each year, Ditmars said it can be intense and time-consuming, but because so many people open themselves up to donate time and money to the project with glad hearts, it helps spread out the many tasks.

“She’s been doing this for 30 years,” DeWitt said of Ditmars. “You deserve to be done. You’ve put in your time, and I’ve put it all over my social media that it’s time that we as the younger generation need to step in and learn how to lead.”

Share-a-Christmas leader Bob Porter has been guiding the SAC ship for many years, and many others continue to give to the program because they care and are filled with compassion.

DeWitt is hoping that she and many other young people will show the generations before them that they are ready and willing to pick up the mantle and run with it.

“I told all my friends that when I take over this thing down the road, I expect all of them to be here,” DeWitt said with a laugh. “I’m going to change my generation and bring in new blood to this amazing organization that shows how giving and caring this county is.”

While the elders who continue to guide Share-a-Christmas gladly perform their duties, they would welcome new and young people to join their ranks and take the program over for many years to come.