NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTLIGHT: Mark Hoffman volunteers with the tree commission, LDI and Pool Pals

Being able to do something to give back for the joy of others.

Therein lies the fundamental reason why Mark Hoffman so freely gives of his time volunteering.

Over the past 25-plus years, the lifelong resident of Lehighton has amassed quite the pedigree of volunteer efforts.

True to form, Hoffman gave his wife, Diane, credit for encouraging him to volunteer.

“Every group I am involved in, she is also a volunteer and needs to be recognized for all of her hard work,” Hoffman said.

Shade Tree Commission

Hoffman’s foray into the volunteering arena began when a neighbor asked him to get involved with the borough’s Shade Tree Commission.

Now in his 26th year, Hoffman said his proudest achievement with the commission was the day when many volunteer groups came together to help with the planting of the 150 Trees for 150 Days Initiative.

He also said he enjoys celebrating Arbor Day each year at the Lehighton Area Middle School thanks to the involvement of other groups and organizations within the town and beyond.

“I am a big believer that great things can happen when many come together for a common cause; in this case, to celebrate Arbor Day,” he said. “This was an event I started many years ago as a ‘let’s try it,’ and it is rewarding in today’s times knowing how quickly things change to know this event is still growing and looked to with the same excitement it held when originally started over 15 years ago.”

With 246 memorial trees, Hoffman said he would put the borough’s memorial program up against any town or city in the state.

Pool Pals

Hoffman said the Lehighton Pool Pals started out slow, as they met twice a month for over two years and began their fundraising efforts with normal activities such as selling hot dogs outside the old Walmart, car washes, yard sales and so on.

He said the group knew there was a matching Department of Conservation and Natural Resources grant available, and began fundraising efforts such as a Brats and Beer (Bratwursts and Root Beer) stand at one of the earlier Bike Nights. They raised just $17.

Fully aware it wasn’t raising nearly enough money to achieve its goal of raising enough money for the matching grant, Hoffman said the idea of an alumni basketball game came up. That ultimately turned into five games.

“We knew how much the residents of Lehighton and surrounding towns love sports and competition, so our planning began,” he said. “More than the money raised, it brought the community together knowing that the Pool Pals were not going away, and with the help of many, the goal of raising $350,000 toward a matching grant could become a reality.”

As a result, Hoffman, now in his 17th year with the group, said the community began holding its own fundraisers, with all money raised given to the Pool Pals to support their goal.

“This support given to our group was definitely one of my most memorable moments; however, it does not compare to the moment on opening day when the Pool Pals, hand-in-hand, opened the newly refurbished pool by cutting the ribbon and walked in to the water of the pool hand-in-hand,” he said. “At that moment, it hit all of us realizing we did it, and there are no words to describe how you feel achieving such an accomplishment with the finest group of volunteers you will ever find.”

LDI/Main Street Steering committees

Hoffman said that prior attempts about two decades ago to revitalize the downtown started out with the greatest of intentions, as kickoff meetings were well-attended by many diverse folks from within the community sharing the same interests. Over time, he said things fizzled out.

Fortunately, he said the Lehighton Downtown Initiative eventually resurrected the idea to revitalize the downtown.

“The biggest difference I see with LDI members is their perseverance and willingness to put in a lot of hard work toward achieving their goal,” he said. “They are not easily discouraged, and are some of the hardest-working volunteers I have ever seen. The other difference I see now versus the past is many of the new business owners are involved with the revitalization, and they are openly working together toward the common goal of improving our downtown for the betterment of all.”

Hoffman said it’s also “very encouraging” to know that two groups are now working together to help with the rebirth of the downtown. The Main Street Steering Committee is somewhat more structured in their makeup compared to LDI. The Main Street committee is supported by both the borough manager and borough council.

(Borough manager) Nicole (Beckett) is actively involved with MSSC and is doing what she can to make it a success,” he said. “Both her support, and the support of council, is critical to make sure the current efforts of LDI and MSSC become a success, resulting in a more vibrant and exciting downtown for everyone.”

Why he volunteers

Despite being a retired manager of customer service for PPL, things didn’t always come quite so easy for Hoffman.

“As a child, I was a strong introvert, lacking confidence and generally shied away from getting involved,” he said. “I did, however, love playing summer baseball, and when being picked to be a captain during the summer between my 10th-grade year and 11th-grade year of high school, it awoke something in me realizing I loved being in the position to think outside the box and to have the ability to motivate a team.”

Hoffman said the insight to his internal makeup carried over to his career with PPL Electric Utilities, as well as with his volunteer efforts.

“As much as I enjoyed my career with PPL and my years as a volunteer, there is no greater joy I get then spending time with my family,” he said, adding that he’s been married to his wife, Diane, for the past 45 years and they have a son, who is married with two grandchildren. “The time we spend with them provides us with memories we will cherish forever.”

So why exactly does Hoffman volunteer?

“One of the reasons I like to volunteer is there’s not a better feeling you get than when you work with volunteers who are not getting paid to try to accomplish a goal and achieve it; you just can’t get that feeling at a job where you are getting paid,” he said. “It’s the greatest feeling in the world.”

Hoffman said the rewards from volunteering are many.

“I would highly encourage anyone to get involved with volunteering, either the groups I mentioned or find your own group,” he said. “Something that you perhaps have a passion about, something where you can make a difference; it will make you feel better, and it will definitely help your community.”