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Undercover Angels in the Poconos

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Undercover Angels Deliver Joy in the Poconos

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life from what we give.” -Winston Churchill

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. But in many respects, it’s also a totally chaotic time of the year. We find ourselves pressed for time, energy and resources as we cook and bake, clean and scrub, and shop for the “perfect” holiday gifts. We do all of this while simultaneously trying to enjoy lights displays, holiday concerts, television specials and more.

Despite all of the chaos, we all do our best to enjoy the season. But, perhaps there are even more fulfilling ways to celebrate.

The staff at both Woodloch Resort and The Lodge at Woodloch have proudly supported “The Woodloch Angel Tree” program for over two decades. Individual staff members and departments would select names and do some shopping for those less fortunate working within the Woodloch community.

The housekeeping team at The Lodge at Woodloch decided to take it a step further.

“Before Christmas of 2022, I had a meeting with my team,” says Linda Angermann, manager. “I asked the staff if they’d be interested in donating a dollar each day from their tips in order to adopt a child for Christmas. They all agreed and were excited to do so. We raised $150 to give a nice holiday to a child.”

Shortly after the holidays, the team met and had the idea to utilize this savings technique to span the entire year. Again, the team agreed. When the dust settled on a very busy 2023 at the Lodge, the team had raised over $2000. After a fun day of shopping, they were able to bring Christmas joy to over 15 children this year. Gifts were loaded into two large SUVs and sent on their way.

The team even had cash to spare. The remainder was donated to the charitable efforts of KidsPeace, which provides support in behavioral and mental health needs of children, families and communities. Across the Woodloch properties, 25 “angels” and several departments were able to bring a bright and merry holiday to 50 local children.

“My entire team is amazing all year long,” says Linda. “But they shine especially bright with their generosity around the holidays. They are looking forward to breaking the $2000 mark for 2024!!”

Woodloch Behind the Smiles: Meet Woodloch's Gardening Department! | Woodloch Resort

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Woodloch Behind the Smiles: Meet our Gardening Department!

~shared by J. Ranner

“Love is the flower- you’ve got to let it GROW.”

-John Lennon

It was one long and at times frustrating battle, but we endured. And after a winter that just didn’t want to let up, here we FINALLY are: Spring has arrived and is in full bloom in our little corner of the Pocono Mountains. All is right with the world.

To me, one of the biggest drawbacks of winter is what I can only call “graying.” After vibrant shiny lights illuminate the coldest of winter nights, we seem to hit months and months of complete absence of color. Then, as the days warm and sun reinvigorates the earth with life, my senses are just about overloaded with stimulus as flowers begin to surround the world in a full spectrum of colors.

This is something that I notice every single day as I stroll to my office at Woodloch. Brilliant displays of flowers catch my eyes at every entrance and nooks and crannies in between. Being less of a winter fan (not that there’s anything wrong with that!) and more of a summer fan, the arrival of blossoms brings me much joy.

Woodloch is a pretty big property- almost 1,200 acres between our resort and Woodloch Springs, our golfing community. So in that respect, you might be quite surprised to find out that ALL of the flower work- planting, maintenance and care (not to mention the challenge from deer, moles, and other flower munching critters) – is the product of just three ladies. Ellen, her daughter Dusty and Jess – our Woodloch Gardening Department- are tasked year round with caring for all of the beautiful flowers that adorn our resort.

Every morning, just as the sun rises above our resort, the ladies set forth planting, watering, deadheading and treating flowers sprawled all across our resort. It’s a never-ending commitment- just as one path of flowers are in pristine condition, something else likely needs attention. There’s a lot of ground to cover! From all of our roadside signs, to each and every building entrance and flower pot, it’s a labor of love.

Behind the scenes, Ellen and the girls are always preparing for our next season. Orders for new spring plants starts well before March while bulbs from last season are prepared in Woodloch’s greenhouse. Plastic flowers are displayed during our “swing” months (after all, March and April are somewhat inconsistent with temperature) until spring plants finally find their way into the ground. By this time, summer flowers are being prepared, then mums and cornstalks for fall and Halloween celebrations, and so on and so forth. Mother Nature, as well as the ladies, don’t stop moving!

The ladies of our Gardening Department of course have their support. Our landscaping crew is constantly cleaning up our flower beds and making sure the rest of our grounds are looking just as beautiful as the flowers surrounding them. Let it be known that in addition to our front of staff operations, we have hundreds of “behind the scenes” employees that keep the cogs of Woodloch moving like a well-oiled machine!

In case you haven’t already noticed (which it is very, very hard NOT to), take an extra couple of minutes to scope out our floral displays- I think you’ll be very glad that you did!

Filed Under: community, employment Tagged With: Employment, Hawley PA, jobs

WOODLOCH: "The Beginning" | Woodloch Resort

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WOODLOCH: “The Beginning”

“It’s always good to remember where you come from and celebrate it. To remember where you come from is part of where you’re going.”

– Anthony Burgess

It’s hard to believe, but 2023 marks Woodloch’s 65th year in business! While our success is of course a result to our “family” of 1000 employees continually dedicating their smiles to guests new and returning alike, we are always humbled to remember where we came from. The early days of our resort laid the foundation for what we are today.

Like so many of the greatest tales ever told, this is a story of boy meets girl. The girl, in this case, was a young lady named Mary Mould.

Perhaps it was fate that Mary’s family happened to spend summers at a friend’s cabin, tucked away in the scenic outskirts of the Northern Pocono Mountains. Every season, the Mould family trekked their way to Lake Teedyuskung- the very same lake that Woodloch would eventually call “home.”

As a teenager, Mary met a handsome football player at Baldwin High named Harry Kiesendahl. It wasn’t long before puppy love blossomed into romance. Hearing all the stories of the wonderful place where Mary’s family went to escape for family vacations, Harry had to see it for himself. With his beautiful girlfriend at his side (and with a few football buddies in tow), they ventured to Hawley to see this place for themselves.

It didn’t disappoint.

Historic photo of Harry and Mary cutting wedding cake.

Heading back to the “real world” and a world in chaos, Harry enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was deployed. His trek was cut short by a torpedoed destroyer. As his ship was towed back to harbor, life’s priorities became more and more clear: he wanted Mary’s hand in marriage.

With both of these “kids” being just 18, her parents thought maybe they ought to talk it over a while at- you guessed it- their summer cabin. While everyone discussed matters, Harry and Mary snuck off one evening and placed two stakes into the ground. They vowed to return to Lake Teedyuskung someday. Somehow.

Ever the charmer, it was only a matter of time before Harry won her parent’s stamp of approval. The two were joined in matrimony on September 9th, 1944. Sent back out into the throes of war, Harry sailed to the Pacific theater until the end of the war.

Returning back home, Harry looked for work to support his newlywed bride. He held jobs as a milkman, busboy, Good Humor man, and even owned a diner- but none of these occupations ever truly felt like a life to hang his hat on.

Something greater was out there on the horizon.

The Kiesendahl family expanded with the birth of John in 1946, followed by Nancy, then baby Steven. When the hustle and bustle of Long Island life got to be a little much, the Kiesendahls did what the rest of us do when we need to recharge- they took family trips!

Remembering the majestic beauty of the Poconos, as well as the close proximity to home, made it easy for them. Along with their high school friends and neighbors, the Kranich family, the entourage made their way to Split Rock Resort. Feeling captivated and delighted by the spirit of the hospitality industry, the seed had been planted for a big change in life and location.

Harry and Mary began combing real estate opportunities in the newspaper. One particular listing was spotted in the New York Times in 1958. A small 12-room boarding house by a lake had just hit the market with an asking price of $45,000 (roughly $400,000 in today’s currency). It was located just outside of the rural hamlet of Hawley, Pennsylvania…

…as fate would have it, on the very same lake where the stakes were planted all those years ago.

CHAPTER II: “WAY BACK WHEN”

CHAPTER III: “PASSING THE TORCH”

CHAPTER IV:

Filed Under: History Tagged With: Employment, Hawley PA, lake resorts in PA, poconos resorts