Our dear friends Seth & Sarah Hernandez (&Birdie)

Dear family and friends of Seth and Sarah Hernandez as well as kind people who want to support other kind people during a difficult time,

During this special holiday season and one filled with giving, we are writing to share our sincere hope that you will help expand our support to some of the dearest friends we have in this life: Seth Hernandez and his amazing wife Sarah who learned on December 21st that they lost their apartment and most of their belongings in a terrible house fire. The Hernandez family is always giving to others with the most generous of hearts; thus, learning of the news that Seth and Sarah are going through this hardship, especially over the holidays, has been so painful to see. Their families and friends (including those of us who have known Seth for decades!) are naturally rallying around them as they rebuild their lives.

What happened?

On December 21, 2022, at 4:00 am, our dear friends Seth and Sarah received text messages from their neighbor about a terrible fire burning through their apartment. More than 70 firefighters were called to put out the two-alarm fire (see news coverage here). The fire displaced several people and we feel sorry for everyone affected. Thankfully, they (and their handsome cat Birdie) were not at home when the fire took place as they had already returned to see family for the holidays. We are sure anyone can imagine how awful it would be to receive this kind of news and how unsettling and heartbreaking it would feel to learn that your world just turned upside down. Imagine the millions of questions running through your head, “Is everyone okay? How did this happen? How bad is it? Is anything salvageable? Where will we live? What do we do next?”.

Fast forward to December 28th, when Seth and Sarah then received a call that their apartment had been looted. The extent of loss from the burglary is still unknown.

Even though Seth and Sarah (unsurprisingly) have the best attitudes one can imagine in these circumstances, and are counting their blessings–most especially their safety and the safety of Birdie–amidst this overwhelming and destabilizing experience, we feel moved to support them in pragmatic ways. They are the type of couple that would never ask for anything so we feel compelled to rally around them and identify the very real things that will require support as they work toward their new normal. (e.g. Sarah’s clothes, furniture, books, electronics, art, kitchenware, etc.)

Why are we rallying to support Seth & Sarah?

Seth (and the entire Hernandez family) always made their home feel like a welcoming home to ALL of us growing up. They added joy, laughter and magic to every interaction and it is no wonder that countless people would claim Seth as a best friend. His all-time best friend though – and love of his life – Sarah, has been the only thing that could have made Seth even greater than he is. We love her and have been so blessed to gain a friendship with her over all these years.

Our request!

During this difficult time for Seth and Sarah, we are writing to ask you–whether you know them or not–to share holiday cheer and consider giving to a couple that we love, admire and adore. They have already paid this kindness forward over all the years and we know they are spreading goodness even through this hardship. Whether it be a $10 donation or gifts for their cat Birdie or a message of encouragement or gift cards for professional clothing or a furniture store deal you know of that can help them with furnishing a home, please leverage this giving season in a way that can show real pragmatic support to this incredible couple. Thank you all!

With appreciation,

Kirstin Woody Scott and Lauren Rodriguez

Bakersfield High Classmates with Seth (Class of 2001)

Fans of Seth and Sarah (and Birdie) (for life)

p.s. Please reach out if you have any questions or ideas. If you’ve seen Seth’s or Sarah’s family posts on Facebook sharing a message that would permit anyone to donate through Venmo, we are happy to share those details if that is easier for you to make a contribution. Thank you again!

A few photos...

Seth & Sarah - please help our dear friends recover from the fire that destroyed cherished and practical possessions in their home

Their precious cat Birdie also lost everything - for all of our pet parents out there, please consider any donation to help Birdie recover his lost items too!

Scenes from the fire damage:

Some photos from over the years:

Sarah, Kir & Seth - September 2017 during their visit to Maine!

Seth & Sarah helped us with a Christmas miracle in 2016 when they drove John all the way from SF airport to Bakersfield since his flight was delayed and he missed his connecting flight - it was one of his few windows to visit CA during surgery residency so this was a HUGE blessing to all of our family!

Bakersfield High shenanigans:

Bakersfield High School - Class of 2001 - Homecoming Prep (R-->L - Kacie, Kir, Seth, Lauren)

Mr. & Mrs. Bakersfield High School (Homecoming 2000!) - thankful for this dear friend over so many years!

Float building memories - too many to count!

Seth in the middle (appropriate as he is always central to the joy & fun!)

Thank you in advance for your support and encouragement for Seth & Sarah!