Help Sarah Rebuild After Devastating Car Accident and Support Her Next Chapter of Service

We all know and absolutely adore Sarah Hipps, but do you know her full story?

In early 2024, Sarah made the bold decision to pick up and move to St. Petersburg, Florida to start a new chapter in her life. She dove right in and quickly became a vital part of her community. But just as she was finding her footing, she faced a series of challenges that have now left her in need of support.

Sarah’s Story:

Sarah arrived in St. Petersburg full of hope and ambition, excited to call this home. In late summer, Sarah tragically lost her job as a project manager for a startup. As if that weren’t enough, the Gulf Coast was hit with back-to-back hurricanes. But instead of sitting back, Sarah used her time intentionally and jumped into action.

Sarah independently mobilized a group of volunteers to clear over 55 homes of sand, debris, furniture and drywall to enable people from vulnerable communities in their post-hurricane process and safety.

She spent countless hours helping families whose homes were flooded, donating her time and energy to assist with cleanup efforts. Whether it was helping to demo waterlogged houses, gathering supplies for those in need, or assisting the elderly, Sarah was there. She became a beacon of hope in a time of crisis.

But while prepping a donation site after Hurricane Milton, Sarah was involved in a horrific car accident where a driver ran a stop light and T-boned her. Sarah’s car flipped, totaling her beloved 4Runner.

The Aftermath:

Sarah suffered serious injuries - 2 herniated discs, a shoulder labral tear, an ulnar nerve entrapment, and a torn ligament in her wrist - and now faces three surgeries in early January. The accident left her unable to work, unable to continue her disaster relief efforts, and struggling to recover both physically and financially.

As a result, Sarah is now in need of financial assistance to cover medical bills, recovery costs, and the many expenses incurred while helping those affected by the hurricanes. But that is not why this page exists!

Sarah’s Vision:

Through these hardships, Sarah always believes that "God has a plan." Even as she faces her own crisis, she’s looking to the future and is in the process of filing for a 501(c)(3) to create Show Up: Disaster Preparedness & Relief, a nonprofit that will focus on some of the following:

-Year round preparedness for seniors, disabled, and low income members of the St. Petersburg, FL community

-Building a community liaison program for preparedness support, individualized and neighborhood, working with neighborhood members to identify the most at risk for rapid response.

-Assisting seniors and disabled to learn how to prepare their home, walk through FEMA, insurance, and other pre-hurricane season tasks that can be overwhelming after disaster.

-Post disaster response for furniture, drywall, and flooring removal, debris removal, resource and supply distribution, transportation, and donation follow-up.

-Rapid response to seniors and disabled experiencing loss of power and subsequent need of food and aid.

Supply distribution in low income areas that see a loss of services due to government drain and shifted focus.

How You Can Help:

Now, it’s our turn to Show Up for Sarah—the selfless hero who has given so much to others. Your generous contribution will go directly to Sarah to assist with:

-Medical bills: Covering the costs of surgeries and treatments and loss of wages while recovering from her multiple surgeries in January.

Rebuilding: Sarah’s savings since losing her job has gone to water, supplies, and other resources during hurricane cleanup for those she showed up for, and car repairs/modifications for her new work vehicle.

-The Non-Profit: Sarah is impassioned to be of service to others on a larger scale of what she did after Helene and Milton. Sarah plans to utilize her recovery time to build the nonprofit and network within the community for business growth and awareness, focusing on building relationships with companies and other community groups and creating proposals. The mission is simple: never allow those who are less able and/or isolated to endure the pain of disasters on their own. To ensure that those most at risk are shown up for quickly and are given as much help as necessary to recover their home fairly and quickly. Your support will help Sarah start and further her mission and make an even greater impact in her community. Please reach out to Sarah to discuss her vision for Show Up for St. Pete in greater detail. She is excited to discuss it!

We’re Asking for Your Support:

Now is the time for us to show up for Sarah, just as she’s shown up for so many others. Every donation, no matter how small, will make a difference in helping Sarah heal, rebuild, and pursue her mission. Let’s help Sarah get back on her feet so she can continue to be the amazing force that she is.

We know she’ll be back out there soon, making a difference in the lives of those who need it most. But right now, Sarah needs our help. Will you join us in Showing Up for Sarah?

Donate now and help Sarah rebuild her life so she can keep helping others!