Samaritans Need Your Help!

For those fortunate enough to be blessed with good cheer and tidings during this holiday season, be thankful. Share!

The friends and relatives that we seldom see throughout the year are preparing their homes for guests. They will be baking cakes and cookies in preperation of your arrival. They'll be wrapping gifts for loved ones. They will be praying for those who are less fortunate, as they should.

Celebrate the giving by donating your time this year.

We have read the news story of someone taking their own life because the stress of life has driven them to the edge. Sometimes they take loved one with them thinking that somehow they are giving them a "better" option too. It seems beyond comprehension. Yet it happens. Our relatives, neighbors and friends are under the pressure to succeed in a society that loves to see you down. You know, you live here.

These are the worst stories to hear about. I know I think of my own wife and children. It's upsetting to think about.

The expertly trained staff at The Samaritans of Greater New Bedford and Fall River are answering the phones everyday with another potential family disaster waiting to unfold. www.samaritanshope.org We are asking those of you with any time available to contact them and volunteer!! The business phone number is 508-679-9777.

If you are retired, a veteran, or perhaps lucky enough to have some free time, we implore you to act. The commitment can be a little as two hours a week.

***YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!

Thousands of U.S. Service men and woman have taken their own lives. More than have been killed in action since the start of the Iraq War.

The holiday season is here. With the economy still stuck in the mud, and more and more people struggling to make ends meet, the need for volunteer help is at crisis point. Get involved. Time is the commitment. The life saved cannot be replaced. www.samaritanshope.org Locally: 508-679-9777, Please.

J.M. Doherty Insurance Agency Inc. is helping to raise awareness of this issue. www.jmdins.com

Why You Should Buy Local!

Each year around this time we like to remind people to shop at your local
stores. The large stores and malls have enormous visibility in the press and
I believe we all forget to think about the special things your local stores
can offer. With the economy still in question I ask you to please read the
following 10 items and shop where your home is! Happy Holidays.

1. Buying local supports you and your family. When you buy from an
independent, locally owned business, significantly more of your buying
dollar stays in the community and is used to make purchases from other local
businesses, like local service providers which helps strengthen the economic

base of your hometown.

2. When you buy from local businesses, you're supporting local nonprofits.
Studies show that small business owners give an average of 250 percent more

dollars in donations to local nonprofits than do large businesses.

3. Buying local keeps your community unique. Where we shop, where we eat and
have fun - all of it makes our community home. Our one-of-a-kind local
businesses give a distinctive character to a place, and add to quality of
life; they also bring in more tourist dollars. "When people go on vacation
they generally seek out destinations that offer them the sense of being
someplace, not just any place," says National Trust for Historic

Preservation President Richard Moe.

4. Reduce your environmental impact. Locally owned businesses make more
local purchases, which means less wasted fossil fuel for deliveries from
afar. Also, when you shop in town or city centers, your purchases contribute

less to sprawl, congestion, habitat loss, and pollution.

5. Local business creates more good jobs. Small, local businesses are the
largest employers nationally, and the jobs they offer create stronger links

to our communities.

6. When you buy local, you invest in community. Local businesses are owned
by your neighbors, people who live in your town, who are less likely to
leave, and who - like you - are more invested in the community's future.
Local businesses provide very important community allies in tough economic

times.

7. You get better service locally. Local businesses often hire people with a
better understanding of the products they sell, and take more time to get to
know customers. If a product causes problems, the local business is more

likely to respond to your concerns in a personal way.

8. Buying local puts your taxes to good use. Local businesses, particularly
those in town centers, require little public infrastructure investment, as
compared to nationally owned chains built at the edge of town with taxpayer

money for improved roads, water and sewer service.

9. You can buy what you want, not what someone wants you to buy. A multitude
of small businesses, each selecting products based not on a national sales
plan but on the needs and requests of local customers, assure a

buyer-friendly range of product choices.

10. Buying local encourages local prosperity. A growing body of economic
research shows that, in an increasingly homogenized world, entrepreneurs and
skilled workers are more likely to invest and settle in communities that
preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive hometown character.
This list was compiled through information from the American Independent
Business Alliance.

Restaurant Insurance

Why should you invest in Cyber Risk Coverage?

Are you a restaurant owner that would like to increase coverage and also save some money too. That's our goal at J.M. Doherty Insurance. With a complete review and professional second opinion the friendly sales staff can answer your questions, and see how well you're currently protected.

We often see well known, high quality restaurants with less than stellar insurance carriers.

Does "surplus lines" sound familiar? Are you signing affidavits because your carrier is "non admitted"?

If so let www.jmdins.com see about changing that for your establishment. When your working with a national carrier like Zurich you know the plan is excellent.

We can even handle Liquor Liability Insurance through this program.

This policy is NON auditable! That means there are no annual issues with the carrier about payroll, receipts... www.jmdins.com helps make life easier, not harder.

There is an application process of course. Nothing complicated just a few specifics to make sure our quote will be accurate.

If you're concerned about your insurance, we are too. www.jmdins.com J.M Doherty Insurance is "steering you in the right direction".

Give us a call today. Thank you!!