Street supports black-owned business effort

A group of clients at West Philadelphia's At Home Health, Inc. had their typical medical routine interrupted as Mayor John Street walked into the business yesterday afternoon. The company was one of four black-owned businesses that Street visited as part of a series of events planned throughout the city in honor of Black History Month. One of the major goals of the initiative was to support the growth of local businesses as part of a greater effort to improve the community. "We can't transform neighborhoods without jobs," Street said to the small crowd gathered at At Home Health, his third stop of the day. "Of course you need housing and public safety, but you first have to create economic opportunities for people." Joel Avery, a Mayor's Office public relations specialist, echoed Street's sentiments about attempts to reach out to the community. "We want to see them grow and prosper," he said. At Home Health, Inc., a home healthcare service based at 39th and Market streets, focuses on providing nursing services, speech, physical and occupational therapy to a primarily elderly client base in the West Philadelphia area. Since the company was founded in 1995, it has moved in and out of the city and has grown from two employees to more than 40. Street also visited an eclectic collection of other local businesses, including Tommy's Mens Shop, Jubilee HVAC, a heating and ventilation company, and JMAR Insurance. Each was selected based on recommendations from Chamber of Commerce officials, who were looking for companies of varying sizes and services. "We are active in the African American Chamber of Commerce, and we are striving to make the city a better place to live," said Jerry Vallery, president of contract support systems and commercial insurance brokers of JMAR Insurance. "Our clientele span the city so we feel our obligation to make the city a better place to live." In addition to honoring businesses specifically owned by blacks, another of Street's goals was to evaluate the status of small, locally patronized businesses as a whole. "We are aware and sensitive that people shop in their own neighborhoods," Avery said. "We want to discuss the effectiveness of outreach programs with these businesses." And according to Vallery, the mayor has an obligation to make working with small local companies one of his major priorities. "I understand that the mayor can't do everything for everyone, but there is a tone and a level of interest that the mayor must set," Avery said. "The things he is doing and what he will do in the future will further support that." In addition to his visits to local businesses, Street also held a reception for influential blacks last night.