By Valerie White
The people that you will read about here are those that inspire us to be better people by their actions. They don’t seek public acclaim for their acts of kindness, and it is not easy to get them to talk about themselves. The purpose in introducing you to them is to show you how one person can make a difference for the better. Often, a compassionate heart is born out of sorrow and pain and thus the desire to bring more joy into the world.
Steve Kuehl
Steve is well known in the Valley as “SLV Steve”. His eye for photography is captivating and brings us right into the scene, whether it is a joyful event, or a flaming fire. Steve goes where few dare to tread! He is the photographer for Santa Cruz Police, Cal Fire, the SLV School District, and many others, including this Bulletin. Much of the time his work is done gratis.
Steve’s family has been in Boulder Creek since 1965 and as a teenager Steve helped his Dad build custom homes in Boulder Creek. His family had a large ranch with all sorts of animals near the YMCA Camp Campbell. When Steve was 15, the world as he had known it came crashing down around him when the ranch he loved burned down. As Steve watched the Firefighters work to save his home, and help his family in the days after, he knew what would be his calling. At 16 years old, he went into firefighting and was a firefighter for 20 years because he wanted to help others.
Steve works behind the scenes with many organizations including the Fallen Officers Foundation, the San Lorenzo Valley Museum, Valley Churches and others. I am sure there are many others, but Steve is very unassuming and reticent to talk about his good deeds. I tracked him down because I wanted to find out who it was that was behind giving those who had no place to go on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day a good meal and others to share it with.
Every year for at least 5 years Steve has paid for lonely people to eat at the Red Pearl Restaurant on the most vulnerable two days of the year. Steve knew what it felt like to be alone and without his kids on the holidays after he was divorced. He also knew from listening to his scanners that it was the time of year with the most suicide attempts. Jenny’s place was one of the only places open on those days, so Steve let it be known that people could go there and that he would pick up the tab for them if they couldn’t afford it. He also wanted to be sure that Jenny was paid the full amount for her hard work. When people donate to his endeavor, whatever is left over after the cost of the dinner is donated to Valley Churches.
Out of the loss of his home, Steve found his calling. Out of his loneliness at the most fragile time of his life, he found a way to help other fragile people. Steve believes that you can take the worse moments in your life and make them into something that becomes better for everyone. He certainly lives by his belief and has made the world a better place by his being in our community. So many thanks to our SLV Steve, his extraordinary photography and his enormous good heart!
For more information, contact or to view Steve’s beautiful photographic archives visit his website at https://slv-steve.smugmug.com