Category Archive for : ‘Food for Thought’

We would like to take a minute to share something close to the hearts of our team because we are making a request for your help.  The city of Attleboro has just received a grant to make Sanford Alley beautiful and is taking a survey for a name to honor this new renovated area, one of whom is Tom Cuddy, Jr.  Well, there is no doubt in our mind or anyone that knew Tom who’s name should be devoted to that area and here’s why.

Tom recently passed but his kind

National Nutrition Month is celebrated every March and focuses on spreading the importance of making informed food choices and developing healthy eating habits. As we all begin to emerge from pandemic-related hibernation, where for many comfort was king, it’s important to reevaluate our eating habits. For many Americans eating healthier means a greater expense at the grocery store but, preparation and shopping smart can lessen the burden. In honor of National Nutrition Month, keep the following money-saving tips in mind:

Make a weekly meal plan.
Before you go to the store, think

This month we’ve chosen the Animal Protection Center of Southeastern Massachusetts for our Jeans Day charity.  Being originally from Brockton I have a special place for the APCSM since it’s in my home town and I adopted my now departed cat from there.    The APCSM is located at 1300 W Elm Street Ext. in Brockton, MA.  They are a non-profit organization founded in 2009 that serves the communities and pets of southeastern Massachusetts.

The adoption center provides care and housing for homeless and surrendered dogs, cats, rabbits and other small pets. 

MLK Day. A Day On.

This Martin Luther King Jr. Day marks the 25th anniversary of the holiday.  Increasingly, MLK Day is becoming known as “a day on, not a day off,”  designated as a national day of service to encourage volunteering in and improving our local communities. Here are 25 ways you can strengthen communities

Check on an elderly neighbor
Donate your business clothes through www.dressforsuccess.org
Donate food to a fire station
Volunteer at a Boys & Girls Club
Become a Big Brother or Big Sister through www.bbbs.org
Volunteer at a Senior Living Community
Donate food to

This week, members of our team attended HubWeek 2019 Fall Festival. HubWeek was founded in 2014 by the Boston Globe, Harvard University, Massachusetts General, and MIT on the “simple belief in the power of the people of Boston to build a better future.”

In their 5 years, HubWeek has played host to speakers ranging from Senator John Kerry, entrepreneur and social activist Scott Harrison, to New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd.

This year’s theme is “The Pursuit: of change, of inspiration, of connection, and of the unknown” through disrupting an industry. So

This month’s Jeans Day is advocated by Brenna Gimler. Hear why this organization is near and dear to her:

For this August’s Jeans Day I have decided to give to the Comfort Zone Camp, a camp for children who have lost a parent, sibling, or other primary caregiver. The reason this organization has my full attention and commitment for this Jeans Day, other than its mission to help grieving kids, is simply because of my friend Steve Roy.

Steve is one of the most amazing people I have had the privilege of

For this month’s Jeans Day we are supporting The Youth Investment Foundation. This organization got its start in 2008 with those working with the Juvenile Courts in New Bedford. They saw these at-risk youth and wanted to help. So often, these kids just need a little guidance and stability to turn their lives around and get on the right path.  This organization tries to help them so they don’t fall through the cracks of the system.  With the donations the organization receives, they are able to offer participants educational opportunities,

I’ve met so many great people attending industry conferences, conventions, and seminars. A great variety of people all passionate about the business they do and the opportunities that come with it. Of all of the conversations I’ve had I spend the majority of my time learning about their businesses. How did you start? What are your plans? Where do you plan to go with this? Are you having fun? What have you learned? I happen to be curious by nature – so I love engaging in these conversations. They tend

This month’s Jeans Day advocate is Judi Kagiwada from our Personal Lines Sales Team. Judi is no stranger to the YMCA’s mission. She has served on their Board of Governors’ since 2009 which has given her the opportunity to see firsthand how the lives of so many have been enriched through various Y programs. Judi also attends many YMCA sponsored events. Her favorite memory is hearing a young mom speak of how her special needs daughter has flourished in the Y Ability program. This is a program for children with

I just spent the last few days with some of the most inspirational and innovative insurance Agency owners I know.  This is a group of colleagues who own agencies across the country.  We all met years ago at an industry conference geared towards bettering our agencies.  Our relationships started with grabbing a beer after a long day of education.  They eventually evolved into having dinner together, sharing challenges and stories, and ultimately becoming close friends.  Today, we all talk regularly.  We make sure we get together if we’re ever in