Thank You to Steve Harms for a lifetime of service to his fellow man

             It is with a heavy heart and immense sadness that I am writing this post. My close friend and mentor, Steve Harms of Visalia California, has been fighting cancer for the past several months. As anyone who has had a family member or friend suffer through cancer knows, it is a grueling fight and one that systematically wears the person down day by day. Throughout the past few months, Steve’s family, and thousands of others, have been hoping, praying and yearning for a miracle. We desperately want more time to enjoy, laugh and share with Steve Harms. However, just this past week, tragically we found out that we have less time to spend with Steve than we ever could have imagined. My grief and questions of why is this happening to such a wonderful person have slowly but surely led to a feeling of thankfulness, a deep sense of appreciation for every moment that I have been truly blessed to spend with Steve. 

Our story as friends goes back to the year 2000. My family and I moved to a cul-de-sac in Visalia right by Valley Oak Middle School, where I was shortly about to begin attending. I was terrified to begin school there. I didn’t know anyone and was still suffering through the pain of my parent’s difficult and recent divorce. Everything seemed so hopeless until a new family moved in on the block shortly thereafter, the Harms’. Steve was immediately friendly and loving to me. I opened up to him in a way that I never had to anyone in my life. I wept with him countless times and told him everything and he always was there to see me through it. I began attending church with him and even having our own Bible study whenever we could find the time. However, our friendship didn’t stop there, Steve supported me threw every phase of my life. We went golfing several times, worked out in his gym in his garage, and shot hops in his driveway where he taught me to do Larry Bird’s classic spin-move and hook-shot. In fact, before I tried out for the freshman Golden West High School basketball team, Steve and I practiced for hours. It was largely thanks to him that I made the team that year and went on to earn my varsity letter. When baseball season came around, Steve would squat down in a catcher’s position and let me practice my pitching with him. I’ll never forget the time one of my pitches slipped and took a bad hop and caught Steve right in the shin. I felt so bad but Steve shook it right off and told me not to worry about it. In addition, Steve made the time to come to a few of my games and cheered me on, even if I didn’t get to play much, Steve would give me a hug and tell me that he was proud of me. When graduation time came, I enlisted in the California Army National Guard. As the time came for me to go to Basic Training, I remember being nervous and heading down the street to go talk with Steve the night before. He encouraged me and sent me off and told me how proud he was. When I was in training, Steve sent me letters that I still have to this day and his wonderful wife, Laura, sent me cookies that made me the envy of the entire company. When I returned home and began college, Steve was there for me yet again. He has written countless recommendations for me for college applications and scholarships that led to me graduating from UCLA with honors and now currently pursuing a Master’s degree. Steve has also been there for my family as well, when my mother was struggling to make it in Visalia and nearly homeless, Steve reached out to friends in the church that found her a wonderful place to live in a moments notice. 

This is the kind of person that Steve is, he gives everything he can and asks nothing in return.  This is this way that I will remember Steve. Whatever your faith, political stance or ideology, I think we all can come together and agree that the world needs more people like Steve Harms out there; people that love first and never judge, people that devote their lives to helping others and not to wealth and greed. It is for this reason that I have written this post, to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for not only for all he’s done for me but all he’s done for everyone that he’s come across. I know that my story is only one of the countless Steve stories out there and I ask everyone who can, to show love and support for this incredible person in anyway they are able. Any wishing to help Steve and his family with financial support may click on this link to give. Thank you. 

-Written by Sebastian Ventling. Sebastian is a graduate of Golden West High School, class of 2005 and UCLA alumnus class of 2012. He is presently pursuing a Master’s in Divinity at San Francisco Theological Seminary and works at Enterprise Rent-A-Car in the management trainee program. Sebastian is also a six-year veteran of the California Army National Guard and is a political activist in the Los Angeles area. Twitter- @Sebaventling    Instagram- @progressive_politics