WHEN BRENT and Lisa Poole set out to find a place to call “home,” they knew they wanted a place where they could share in the community’s journey. Brent, originally from the vibrant state of California, and Lisa, from the bustling city of Huntsville, knew they wanted a quieter, more serene life.
They found their oasis in Winchester, a quiet and tucked-away city where they could build their dreams and fulfill their purpose.
Lisa said, “We saw it as a place for opportunities to serve our community and feel our way through what we want to do, but ultimately knew we wanted to do it in a smaller town.”
After serving as a fire captain in Los Angeles for 30 years, Brent was ready to live out his retirement with his wife. The couple began their entrepreneurial journey by giving back to the community by establishing Ponderosa Playcare Residential Center atop the beautiful Tims Ford Lake.
Brent recounted that he and Lisa made frequent summer trips to Tims Ford Lake to rent homes in various areas before moving to the city. When Brent acquainted himself with the area, he told his real estate broker they were finally ready to move and settle down on one of the lake’s most beautiful properties.
Lisa, a licensed realtor in Tennessee, began working under Sam Hatfield, the broker that helped them purchase their house.
The need for more personalized daycare became especially evident to the couple as they saw their loved ones constantly placing their names on waiting lists and taking off work because they had no suitable childcare facility in the area.
Brent and Lisa’s decision to fulfill this need was born of a desire to give back to their loved ones while creating an invaluable service for the community. They opened the doors to their residential center in May, and every day, they’re adding names to the waitlist.
Lisa added, “It’s fulfilling a need to serve our community, and it’s fulfilling a need to help take care of our family, too. So that’s what ended up sealing the whole deal.”
Ponderosa Playcare Residential Center is a residential child care center dedicated to the care and development of every child that comes through its doors.
The couple’s experienced daughter-in-law serves as the primary caregiver at Ponderosa Playcare Residential Center. Their goal is simple yet noble: to provide a safe, faith-based, and age-appropriate developmental environment with nutritious meals and ample opportunities for fun outdoor playtime.
Brent said, “We just want people to know that this is going to be the best, safest, cleanest, and most loving place where you can leave children.”
The Poole family’s ideal outdoor “soul healer” oasis led visitors and family members to call their pool the “Poole Ponderosa” with an endearing familiarity.
Lisa said, “We’re really blessed to have something that has become a place of relaxation and restoration for people.”
She added, “Years ago, everybody started calling it the ‘Poole Ponderosa.’ So it’s more of an endearing emblem.”
Ponderosa Playcare is profoundly impacting families and children in the community. Their commitment to faith-based values ensures a lasting legacy for generations to come.
Brent said, “Lisa and I are both keenly aware that this is the Lord’s place, and we just pray that we are always good stewards of it.” GN
