CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — TrueNorth is honored to announce its partnership with Operation Santa 2025, a statewide initiative dedicated to bringing joy, connection and holiday magic to children and teens in foster and kinship care along with their biological families across the state of Iowa.
Operation Santa, led by primary organizers Four Oaks and Foster Squad, is a collaboration of nonprofits and local agencies working together to:
Since its inception in 2022, Operation Santa has grown from serving 55 children to supporting more than 2,800 children last year. With more than 4,000 children in foster care statewide and nearly 2,500 pending requests for foster families, the need for community support has never been greater.
TrueNorth, alongside First MainStreet Insurance (FMSI) colleagues, is committed to building awareness and supporting Operation Santa in local communities. This year, TrueNorth and FMSI offices are actively:
Operation Santa parties were held during the first two weekends of December, allowing working families to participate. TrueNorth’s involvement culminated in a series of joyful celebrations, ensuring every child experiences the magic of Christmas.
Operation Santa is more than a program — it’s a movement of care and compassion. Anne Parmley, Community Impact Director said, “TrueNorth appreciates its long-lasting relationship with Four Oaks. This is our first year participating in Operation Santa at such a substantial and statewide level. Our colleagues at TrueNorth take great pride in our ability to give back to our local communities. This program demonstrates how widely collaboration across organizations and nonprofits can impact Iowa families.”
"After attending my first Operation Santa in 2023 in Des Moines I knew it was special,” said Mary Beth O’Neill, President and CEO of Four Oaks. O’Neill and Operation Santa Founder Traci Schermerhorn put their heads together to build what is now a statewide initiative to provide a safe, welcoming place for children in foster, adoptive, or kinship care to celebrate the holidays with family. “The holidays can be a time of uncertainty for children in foster care, and Operation Santa helps make the holidays memorable.”
TrueNorth® Companies, L.C. is a risk management and insurance brokerage firm focused on creating value for our clients, colleagues and communities. The organization is designed to maintain its closely held and privately held business model supported by an organic growth and internal perpetuation strategy. TrueNorth and First MainStreet are headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa with office locations in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, South Dakota, Colorado and Tennessee and colleagues located in over 20 states across the nation. Learn more at truenorthcompanies.com.
At Four Oaks our vision is to ‘Expect Success’ and that guiding statement shapes our work across every area from residential treatment to community-based services, foster care and adoption and affordable housing. What began in 1973 with nine boys has now become one of the largest child welfare agencies in the state of Iowa, now serving all 99 counties and providing families with comprehensive wrap-around support. By combining resources and collaborating across programs and sites, we are able to create a continuum of care to address a variety of barriers to success.
TrueNorth Media Contact:
Anne Parmley, Community Impact Director
(319) 739-1416
aparmley@truenorthcompanies.com
Four Oaks Media Contact:
Gage Miskimen
(850) 361-7181
gmiskimen@fouroaks.org