From the first hotline being established in 1976 by our Founding Mothers, to the acquisition of an emergency shelter, and the expansion of staff, programs and fundraising opportunities, Laurel House had come a long way by the time 2015 rolled around…and we had no intention of slowing down! In 2015, Laurel House added on two new […]

The late 90s into the early 2000s was a period of expansion for both fundraising events and the formation of new services. Seeking to grow its fundraising activities to keep up with the growth of the agency, Laurel House held its first Annual Gala in 1998. It was such a success that a Gala is […]

Laurel House became incorporated as a 501(c)3 in 1981, and the next year hired its first paid Executive Director, Betty Aptaker. Things were steadily moving along. The Norristown property they had acquired as an emergency shelter was at the time a twin. The other half of the building was vacant, and there was concern about […]

In 1974 a group of women, now known as our Founding Mothers, started talking about the concept of a Women’s Center promoting the philosophy of “women helping women”. Only eight years earlier, NOW (National Organization for Women) had been formed, and in 1972, Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment. While working to bring the Women’s […]