By: Richelle Latona, Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Fund
Stepping into the Welcome Center at Hume Lake for Summer Staff Orientation, I was greeted by a special moment. There, behind the desk, was Hannah Gerber — someone I’d seen grow up right here at Hume. It was a heartwarming sight to witness her now, having just graduated from high school and a part of the summer staff team. I knew instantly that Hume’s friends would love to hear her story. For any of us that have had a chance to work at Hume or attend a camp at Hume, there’s such a special nostalgia of the times, traditions and memories we had that we want our children to be able to one day experience. Hannah is a story of legacy, alumni children returning to work, and the enduring impact of Hume.
Hannah, Thank you so much for being willing to share your Hume story with us- Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I am a child of God, the oldest of two and daughter of Kevin & Bunnie Gerber. I love my family, my church, working with kids and the camp ministry.
Who are your parents, and what is their Hume story?
My parents are Kevin and Bunnie Gerber. They have a long history of working up here at the lake and actually met when my dad was my mom’s boss in the snack shop in 1999. They ended up getting married in 2001 and stayed on as full-time staff and then had me in 2006 and my brother, Isaac, in 2008. They worked on staff for 18 years, while raising my brother and I at Hume Lake until the summer of 2017. After that, my parents felt led by God to move down the hill, so we packed up and followed His calling for us down to “Big Fresno”. We have lived in the Fresno/Clovis area for seven years now and love it so much! We attend The Well Church as a family and are involved in many extracurriculars that allow for us to have a wide variety of community.
What is your Hume story, and what did it look like growing up here?
I grew up here at Hume surrounded by the rush of camp life throughout each summer and then the calm offseason of school and retreats. Growing up here at the lake is a bittersweet experience. I got to be surrounded by Christian classmates and teachers and always had a small class size which helped with learning and a one-on-one learning experience. The only downside was not having any outlets for sports, large friend groups, or a variety of other “normal” things that other public schooled kids experienced. My family ended up driving down the hill 3-4 days a week for three years, so that my brother and I could be involved in sports and other extracurricular activities as well as get the experience of being around world-broken people that weren’t necessarily Christians. This helped me learn how to show kindness to those who don’t love Jesus and are hurting as well as grow in relationship with those who do love Jesus! It was kind of the best of both worlds.
Can you tell us about where you have worked in the past
My dad, Kevin, ran the concessions buildings here at the Lake when I was growing up, and he would let me volunteer and help out whenever they were slow, so that I could learn and help out! I absolutely loved this experience to grow and learn new things. Over the years, I have worked in all the concessions buildings; coffee shops, Snack Shop, Triple P, the OK chalet, Ponderosa kitchen; bakery, host and more, as well as helping out in other camps whether that was running errands or helping out with rec.
Why is Hume a special place to you?
Hume is special to me because I was raised here and it feels like home; I feel safe and surrounded by Christian community and family everywhere I look and I love that sweet feeling! I also accepted Christ at a very young age in my old house up in Cedar Circle, so this will forever be a special place in my heart.
Why did you want to work at Hume
I wanted to come back up to Hume because I felt led by God! I felt like this was the next step in my life that God had for me and I decided to follow it! It wasn’t an easy choice to leave my previous job and friends behind in Fresno, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. I have made a ton of sweet friends up here at Hume already, who love Jesus and point me in a direction that is loving and honoring Him and I truly couldn’t have asked for more.
What role are you serving this summer?
This summer I am working in the Welcome Center at the front desk and registrar! I am loving it so much so far, but it is definitely a growing and learning process, because it is very different from my food making jobs in dealing with customer relations. I am learning how to have a humble heart, and also how to learn new things and persevere.
Very important Hume question. What is your go-to order at the Coffee Co.?
I always get an iced dirty chai with a cinnamon bagel & cream cheese.
How can we be praying for you?
Pray that I can continue to learn and grow in humility. Also, that I can prayerfully decide what to do going forward with college, schooling, and work!
Here’s some pictures of Hannah growing up at Hume:
