Featured Members

1. Tell us a bit about your business (when was it launched,  by whom was it launched).

1. 1. Our national company Equitable Advisors has been in business since the mid-1800s and our local office, Karr Barth, has been around since 1967.  And I have my own practice within the larger organization.  While I work with all types o
      f individuals & families, I have a particular passion for focusing on the needs of the LGBTQ community, our unique relationship dynamics, and how that affects our financial plans.  In addition to working with individuals and families, for business owners, we provide employee and other benefits (i.e. 401k plans, 403b plans, Key Employee Benefits, Deferred Compensation plans, Buy/Sell Insurance). 
   2. We’re also hiring!  We have fantastic career opportunities, excellent training and mentorship, and an amazing team to help you be successful.  I am on a personal mission to increase diversity; not just on our team and in our office, but in the industry as a whole. 
2. How has COVID-19 impacted the daily operations of your business?
   1. It has been a transition for sure doing everything remotely, but it’s actually been great!  Clients are much more comfortable meeting via web and video conference which allows us to connect virtually as the next best thing to meeting in person.  We’re able to have the same conversations and connections with the plan that at some point, it might be in person!
      
3. How has your business been adapting to the challenges presented by the pandemic?
   For me, it all starts with understanding, appreciating, and empathizing with an individual or family’s current situation.  I pride myself on learning about a client’s life and vision for their future and then figuring out the financial goals and actions to support that vision.  People have concerns about their finances, whether it be their preparedness for retirement, the protection for their families, or figuring out how to maximize the effectiveness of the household income.  We are quite uniquely prepared to lend a helping hand with these concerns as we provide comprehensive & lifetime financial planning/advising as well as the execution of those plans.  The pandemic has led people to focus on their finances more than ever and we’re here to help!Please reach out to me on LinkedIn, email, or phone.  I’m happy to be a resource if you’re looking for a helping hand or if you’d just like to have a quick chat with a professional.  Perhaps I can add a bit of perspective or answer any questions you may have.  I truly enjoy meeting new people and I like to smile and make my process fun, productive, and informative!

   Jason.ocoma@equitable.com

   Office: 610-660-4573

   Mobile: 267-971-7674

1. Tell us a bit about your business.

On May 28^th we will be celebrating our 40^th anniversary! We were founded in 1980 by a group of women, now known as our Founding Mothers, who saw the need for a crisis hotline for domestic abuse victims, which then turned into an emergency shelter for them and their children who were fleeing abusive homes.

2. How has COVID-19 impacted the daily operations of your business?
   As an organization we have definitely felt the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on our daily operations. Our Community Educators have been hosting virtual trainings on safe dating and friendship fundamentals to middle schools, high schools, and colleges. The Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART) advocates have been working remotely taking calls 24/7, providing safety planning, resource referrals and support to domestic abuse victims in crisis. The staff at our emergency shelter and transitional housing units continue to care for the clients living there. Due to safety concerns, we have not been able to accept new clients into our emergency shelter, but we have been assisting victims with emergency  hotel lodging. Our Family Advocate is helping assist the families in the Transitional Housing units with their children’s virtual learning. We have continued to offer our counseling services using telehealth via phone/ text and video conferencing technology. Using this services allows anyone who is seeking our help to be able to connect with our counselors. Our 24-hour confidential hotline is still open and offering safety planning, support and resource referral.

3. How has your business been adapting to the challenges presented by the pandemic?
   We have found ways for each of our departments to maintain their services remotely or through technology. While our clients can’t see us in person the way they used to be able to, we are still available for them.

More info: Our 40^th Anniversary is on May 28^th. We are relaunching our website and will have it ready by that date. We will be promoting our new site on the day of and have been promoting our history in weekly eblasts leading up to the 28^th. We are encouraging people to join our mailing list through our current site at www.laurel-house.org to keep up with all of the updates. We will also have a $40 for 40 years campaign on that same day as well.

Main Line Collision has been serving the Main Line area since 1977. Our 11,000 square foot facility has the capability for repairing all vehicle makes and models. We have a reputation for excellent personal service and a lifetime warranty on all workmanship. We work closely with our clients to answer all their questions and we take pride when they are satisfied with the process of repairing their vehicle to pre-loss condition. Main Line Collision has the largest auto body shop in the Main Line area and has a staff that prides itself for quality, efficiency, and service to our customers. We look forward to having the opportunity to make your car beautiful once again!

SAGA Community Center, formerly a meetup, was founded in 2017 by a group of LGBTQ+ individuals looking for connection and community. Since then, the group has blossomed into a thriving community center that serves the LGBTQ+ community in Montgomery and Bucks counties. SAGA‘s programs include support groups, activity nights, coffeehouse/open mic nights, clothing swaps, SAGA Sports, educational programs, and more! The center is also home to Montgomery County’s 1st ever LGBTQ+ library.

The COVID pandemic has prevented us from meeting in person at our Hatboro, PA location. We have moved most of our programming to ZOOM.  The library is closed and the Clothing Swap and SAGA Sports are the only programs that will be canceled until further notice. We plan to host our Coffeehouse on ZOOM and live stream this event on Facebook, with a date TBD.

• Activity Night – 2nd, 4th, & 5th Thursdays from 7:00pm – 9:30pm – All ages
• Trans Support Group – 1st Thursdays from 7:00pm – 8:30pm – Ages 18+
• LGBTQ+ Support Group – 3rd Thursdays from 7:30pm – 8:30pm – Ages 18+
• Coffeehouse – TIME and DATE TBD – All Ages
• Census Information Session – TIME and DATE TBD – All Ages