Photo by Patrick Ray
Nothing warms the heart like a real old fashioned Christmas story about people willing to help out their less fortunate neighbors.
The story of how the Sertic family started the Kern River Valley Christmas Outreach, compelled by Christ’s love, is one such story.
Ryan and Ronda Sertic are definitely not happy go lucky. In fact the two have suffered the trials of Job, by all Christian standards.
Yet through all their suffering, they came to a place where they wanted to reach others, especially children, with the real meaning of Christmas. They continue to invite the public, every year to La Bikina Mexican Restaurant, to enjoy a delicious, nutritious meal and good companionship. Why not join them this year? If you go Christmas Day, you won’t be alone. They would be blessed if, before Christmas, you donated to the cause of less fortunate people having a meal. Just let the La Bikina staff know the donation is for the Christmas event.
Meals Christmas day will be first come, first serve. The Sertics raise money each year to serve Christmas meals to their neighbors. The meal is served from 12pm to 3pm. And during the event there will be toys, and other items the public may need, such as clothing and warm blankets.
Despite the tough times life has sent Ronda and Ryan Sertic, throughout the years, the couple decided to serve the Lord by running a Christian men’s discipleship home, which is how the Sertics affiliate with all the churches and congregations of the valley that help bring Christmas lunch to the valley. “We’re trying to raise enough to feed 200 people,” Ronda told the Kern Valley Sun. “Donations would go directly to the restaurant in lieu of Christmas Outreach.”
“La Bikina is so gracious to open their doors for us to hold the event there. And then they give us the food at a discounted price. And then they take time out of their day at Christmas for us to hold this event faithfully every year.”
People are welcome to come as early as 10:30 to begin set up. Clean up is at 3pm
The Sertics need volunteers to help them set up and clean up afterwards. They also appreciate when folks bring items to help their neighbors in the community
Ronda said, “I’d like to give a little shout out to Jayda Bushling, because she faithfully is doing the Warm a Heart Blanket Drive. And she provides blankets to elderly people,
the homeless. Anybody that comes there is welcome to a blanket. It’s all about giving and loving and the fellowship.”
Ronda expressed gratitude to Jayda Bushling because of the fact she is a youth, spending time doing the Warm A Heart Blanket Drive and has a positive influence on the community for the local youth.
Debra and Robbie Beeler went out of their way to purchase gifts with donated money for all the kids at the event this year.
Ryan said, “Thomas Refuse donates the outhouse and the hand washing station. They bring it before and they pick it up after the event. Every year they do it because they want to sponsor something like this for Christmas.”
“Please just hang around and fellowship. Make new friends. Just visit. It’s Christmas. We should spend it together,” said Ronda.
The public is invited to bring desserts as a potluck. “If anybody wants to swing by Christmas day, and just drop off a dessert, just so we have enough. That would be wonderful,” she said.
The Sertics said this event is an effort of the entire community. “We are a very small knit community and we have an abundance of people pooling together in our community.”
Churches assist with purchasing the meals. “Kern Christian Calvary every year they faithfully bring all the tables and chairs.” Ronda said. Other people from churches are trying to teach their children what Christmas is about. Each Christmas parents from the church have their teens serving the plates of food for others.
About a decade ago the Sertics realized that some children might be ungrateful about their gifts. That’s when they realized children need to learn the value of Christmas. And that’s how this Christmas story got started.
The following year, and every Christmas thereafter the Sertic family went to the homeless and provided clothes, food or snacks, and fellowship with those in need.
Then Angela and John, owners of My Place restaurant who used to do Christmas outreaches, was closing, so they donated the paper goods and items for an outreach to the Sertics.
The Sertics pulled a camper up to My Place. Ronda said, the couple got donations from their church and made up toiletry bags and held a potluck and fed the homeless and anyone wanting to come. And Ronda gave out gifts from their camper door.
Ryan said, “The next year that restaurant was totally closed. So we asked Webb Recycling can we do this Christmas event at Webb Recycling, in the alley, and just run extension cords out of your place, and use your outhouse? And they said yes. So we just set up tables, in the alley, and a bunch of chairs. It was a high of like 43 degrees, that Christmas Day, cloudy and windy. It was blustery and cold.”
The third year the couple was friends with the old owner of LaBikina and got permission to do the event at the restaurant for a couple of years in a row. Then the next owners allowed them to do the outreach there again. Then the place was sold and the current owner has let them do the Christmas event there, for the third year in a row, this year.
The Sertics say it has been a miracle that three owners of LaBikina have wanted to serve the community in this way.
Ryan said, “I’m just grateful that LaBikina wants to be a part of a blessing and that all the other churches are helping together. Christ died for a world that nailed Him to a cross. And he wants us to follow Jesus example. So we want to treat people how we would want to be treated.”
