The Significance of Summer Staff
A recollection from Kim Falcone Jenkins on her experience with Summer Staff.
In the ‘90s, we often referred to it as “the Conference.” Today, staffers simply call it “Harvey.”
I often say a summer on staff at Harvey Cedars is a small taste of college life but in your high school years. You are given freedom with safe boundaries, staff parents who mentor you, and newfound responsibility. You set your alarm to wake up early for work, and return to your dorm before curfew. You do your own laundry, change sheets, and learn to clean a bathroom. You selflessly serve others but have a blast doing it with new lifelong friends. You appreciate peaceful moments alone on the dock or a long bike ride after working a loud shift in the dining hall during youth weeks.
You witness endless sunsets, learning and growing in a place you will always refer to as your home away from home. You leave a “Harvey summer” with lessons and scriptures permanently etched in memory. Words from chapel songs will come to mind just when you need them and bring you right back to those youthful summers at the beach.
Summer Staff, June 2025
Life came full circle as my own daughter worked the past two summers on staff. Hearing her talk about Harvey with the same fond memories I had, and seeing the capable woman she is because of it, makes me wish for a Harvey summer for all teens. She will tell you her summers on staff have helped her develop confidence in who she truly is. She learned to not seek the approval of others but to stand firm in her faith.
Harvey not only instills a strong work ethic but teaches young people what it means to live in community and serve others above themselves. Harvey is a place where Christ finds people and changes lives, but Summer Staff is an experience that continues to change generations.
Recently, I have had the privilege of connecting with former staffers through the Alumni Committee. The committee meets a few times throughout the year to host events that bless the current and former staff. They plan the end of summer gala, the Couples Weekends in November and February, and the Alumni & Family Weekend in May.
These events are meant to reminisce, relax, and create new Harvey memories. If you are a former alumnus and would like to get connected for future events, reach out at development@hcbible.org or join our official HCBC Alumni Facebook group! We’d love to hear from you!
