College Application Assistance
Member Name: Shannon Zarb
Address: Rolesville, NC
Phone: (631) 960-5303
Website: https://sites.google.
Email: shannonzarb@gmail.com
Services Offered: Do you know a rising junior or high school senior about to complete the Common Application, college entrance requirements, or pursuing scholarship opportunities? Let me help you get prepared with a standout college application and essay that strategically sets you apart and gets you noticed. Sessions available for virtual or in-person.
I’m a compassionate, local and experienced ELA teacher offering structured support for college-bound students of all abilities. Targeted support includes:
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- Strategically preparing for college well before you even start applying.
- Learn what colleges are looking for, what to avoid, and how to tip the scales in your favor.
- Get the latest advice on using AI ensuring your work reflects your true, authentic voice.
- Writing, editing, and application support from brainstorming to submission!
- Check out my website for information on NC admissions deadlines, the latest on AI and a freebie: College-ready Checklist
Estate Sales
Grandma’s Estate Services
Member Name: Marie Knight
Address: 3419 Arrowhead Drive. Raleigh, NC 27604
Phone: 919-618-3754
Website: grandmasestateservices.com
Email: grandmasestateservices@gmail.com
Services Offered: Grandma’s Estate Services is an established, caring and sympathetic estate service. Whether you are experiencing the loss of a loved one, moving to assisted living, downsizing due to retirement, relocation or divorce we are the company for you.
Our service provides researching, staging, pricing, marketing, advertising, and selling the contents of the home. We will leave the house empty, with no worries for you. We treat it like our mother’s.
Discounts or Special Member Offers: Discounts offered to members.
Financial Advisors
Edward Jones
Member Name: Jack G. Giamportone
Address: 9212 Falls of Neuse Road – Suite 121, Raleigh, NC 27615
Phone: 919-845-7433
Website: http://www.edwardjones.com/
Email: jack.giamportone@edwardjones.com
Services Offered: We offer numerous investments and services to help you reach your financial goals, including smart spending and borrowing options, retirement, paying for education, estate considerations and protecting your assets. Please contact me for more information.
Funeral Homes
Renaissance Funeral Home & Crematory
Member Name: Joseph R. Smolenski, Jr.
Address: 7615 Six Forks Road, Raleigh, NC 27615
Phone: 919-866-1866
Website: http://www.rfhr.com/
Email: info@rfhr.com
Services Offered: Guiding you through a time of uncertainty. We simplify funerals. Our family of clients are loving kin searching for heartfelt recognition of life through ceremony and disposition such as cremation, burial and anatomical donation. We are privately owned by 3rd and 4th generation family funeral directors. Crematory is on-site.
Health & Wellness
All About Wellness
Member Name: Janne & Joe LoFaro
Address: PO Box 134, Holly Springs, NC 27540
Phone: 919-601-1302 or 919-457-8487
Website: www.allaboutwellness.com
Instagram: @all_about_wellness_aaw
Email: janne@allaboutwellness.com or joe@allaboutwellness.com
Services Offered: We enjoy sharing health and wellness information to help others live a healthier life. Offering a variety of products for the health of the body and home as well as “Youth” skin care and sports nutrition enables us to help everyone at any age. We have been Wellness Advisors for over 25 years and love what we do.
Insurance
North American Senior Benefits
Owner: Ann Marie Fontana, Insurance Broker
Phone Number: 404-862-5448
E-mail: mamere4444@gmail.com
Services Offered: Life, Term, Long Term Care and Medicare Insurance. Licensed in NC, SC, GA, and VA
Interior Decorators
del ZIO Designs Interiors, LLC
Member Name: Linda del Zio Zoffer
Address: 150 Meadow Run Drive. Chapel Hill, NC 27517-7786
Phone: 919-949-5611 Fax 919-932-6833
Website: delziodesigns.com
Email: delziodesigns@mindspring.com (Linda is also on LinkedIn)
Services Offered: I am pleased to offer our services to help you with your design and decorating needs. My training and experience include a unique background, formal training, professional certifications and in service experience. My design team and I offer Residential and Light Commercial Interior Design and Decoration. Our services cover custom residential and commercial space planning and interior design for existing homes, corporate offices and new construction.
Services include: Blinds and shutters, kitchens (including outdoor kitchens), and baths, cabinetry & bookcases, purchase & placement of artwork, framing, lighting and accessories, effective use of lights & lighting, color palette development & color selections, licensed general contractors & subcontractors, custom treatments for floors, windows, walls, bedding, upholstery, etc., “fit and finish”, faux finishing, re-design, preparing a home or condo for sale, “brand” reinforcement through interior design for corporate clients, green design and sustainability, barrier free and universal design (aging in place), space planning and floor plan development, furniture selection and/or custom furniture design & build.
Discounts or Special Member Offers: For members -hourly consultations available at 10% discount off of the principal designer’s (Linda), hourly consultation design rate. With full service design, Linda’s hourly design rate is available at a 15% discount.
Fresh Pasta
Melina’s Fresh Pasta
Using traditional recipes and methods learned in Italy, Melina’s Fresh Pasta produces fresh pasta, ravioli, gnocchi and sauces using fresh and local ingredients. Our fresh pasta is made in the Italian tradition with just eggs and finely milled durum and semolina flour. We produce a variety of ravioli stuffed with special blends of spices, seasonal vegetables and imported Italian cheeses. Our fan favorites ravioli include Lemon Ricotta Ravioli, Pimento Cheese Ravioli & Fig Gorgonzola Ravioli along with traditional flavors like Spinach & Cheese and Pumpkin. In 2022, the Melina’s was awarded the best overall Made in NC Product by Our State Magazine. Now in their 14th year Melina’s Fresh Pasta can be found all over the Triangle in farmer’s markets and stores.
Owner, Carmella, is the first in her family born in the US to Italian immigrant parents. She travelled to Italy to learn traditional pasta making. Upon her return she founded Melina’s Fresh Pasta (Melina is the nickname her family calls her) to bring fresh pasta to the Triangle.
Melina’s Fresh Pasta can be found at the Pasta Shop in Durham, 6 local farmer’s markets each Saturday and local retail outlets like CapriFlavors, The Butchers Market and Weaver Street Market.
In 2024, Carmella opened Il Laboratorio – The Cooking Lab – a new kitchen dedicated to pasta making classes to be able to teach regional Italian pasta making & cooking. Public and private classes are available.
www.melinaspasta.com – (919)403-3663 – 2717 Chapel Hill Rd, Durham, NC 27707
www.cookinglabnc.com – (919)228-9390 – 3101 Guess Rd, Unit E, Durham, NC 27705
Real Estate
Of Love Real Estate Consulting International
Owner: Mike D’Amore
Business Location: 1483 Beaver Creek Commons Drive, Apex, NC, 27502
Phone Number: (315)794-9629
E-mail: president@Legacyresourcesnc.com
Services Offered: Personalized Consultations dedicated to partnering you with the perfect fit based on your wants and needs. Not all Realtors are created equal and are able to service everywhere equally. As a former Realtor and Army Veteran I am both an expert in the field of relocation and know first hand the importance of a seamless relocation both locally and long distance. I take your wants, needs, and interested location and partner you with the perfect Realtor for you. Locally I have my own team of agents and I’m partnered with Realtors in all 50 states and Real Estate Experts(they go by different names in different countries) in over 50 different countries and regions worldwide. All of this comes completely free to you and my fee is paid as a referral by the Real Estate Agent or their firm and it’s always the exact same fee every time so you know you are getting partnered with someone because of their skills and merits not because they were the highest bidder!
Special Deals for OSDIA: I personally specialize in American, Canadian, and Italian Real Estate. I am the creator and operator of an Real Estate Community in partnership with Keller William’s Realty International(Keller William’s Italian America) to have direct access to Italian American, Italian, and Italian/Regional Language speaking agents worldwide. I am in partnership with the National level of OSDIA to send a portion of every single commission I make to Sons of Italy Foundation where together we will create and fund their first ever Trade/Entrepreneurial Grant/Scholarship to make sure we aren’t just support Italians who want to go to college but we are growing Italian America through all walks of life.
EPIQUE Realty
Member Name: Carrie Ann Bernier
PHONE: 630-805-0753
EMAIL: carrieann@epique.me
SERVICES OFFERRED:
Service areas:
Cary, Raleigh, Apex, Morrisville, Wake County Area, Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, Efland, Orange County Area, Durham County Area, Mebane, Graham, Burlington, Alamance County Area, Gibsonville, Whitsett, Elon
Buyer’s agent/Listing agent
I am an enthusiastic and dedicated EPIQUE agent in the North Carolina Triangle Area. Over the past 30 years, I have bought, sold and renovated several homes and I am committed to providing exceptional service to my clients as you navigate the home buying and selling process. I have a keen eye for detail and a genuine understanding of the emotional aspects of buying and selling a home.
Born and raised just outside of Chicago, Illinois, my family and I moved to Hillsborough, NC in 2019. I met my husband while in college at Northern Illinois University and we have been married since 1995. We have 4 adult children, two sons, and two daughters. We are all so happy to call North Carolina home.
Having recently relocated, I understand the challenges and excitement of moving to a new area. Whether you are buying your first home, upgrading to a larger space or downsizing for retirement, I am dedicated to guiding you through every step of the process. Feel free to call me with any questions you may have. I look forward to getting to know you and helping you reach your home buying and selling goals and dreams.
Carrie Ann is Here to Help You Carry On!
Roofing
Mighty Dog Roofing – North Raleigh
Member Name: Greg Muzzarelli
Address: 2006 S. Main Street #202, Wake Forest NC 27587
Phone: 919-964-1911
Website: https://www.mightydogroofing.com/north-raleigh
Email: gmuzzarelli@mightydogroofing.com
Services Offered: We are a locally owned and operated residential roofing contractor. We also offer gutters, windows, and siding repair/replacement.
Discounts or Special Member Offers: Mention you heard about us through TSDOI for additional discounts.
Travel Agency
Flights and Fables
Member Name: Rocky Dimico
Address: Sanford, NC
Phone: 984-977-8482
Website: https://www.
Email: rocky@flightsandfables.
Services Offered: As a travel advisor and agency owner, I specialize in curating exceptional travel experiences for individuals, families, and groups. My expertise lies in crafting personalized itineraries with a focus on European destinations, including Italy, and fantasy-inspired travel. Whether you’re dreaming of a deep dive into Italian heritage, exploring the rich cultures of New Zealand or Ireland, or embarking on an adventure inspired by myths and legends, I bring your travel vision to life. From handling logistics such as flights, accommodations, and guided tours to offering insider tips and exclusive experiences, I ensure every journey is seamless, memorable, and tailored to your interests.
Background: With a passion for travel that has taken me to 59 countries, including three unforgettable years living in Italy, I bring a wealth of cultural knowledge and firsthand experience to my work. My time in Italy allowed me to connect deeply with its traditions, history, and way of life, further enriching my ability to design meaningful travel experiences for others. As someone who values exploration, storytelling, and the shared connections that travel inspires, I’m committed to helping clients create journeys that resonate deeply and celebrate the beauty of our world.