The Main Street America Group gave back to local communities in a variety of impactful ways during the just-completed holiday season.

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Wish Kids Mackenzie and McKayla join (left to right) Diane Kuppermann, president and CEO, Make-A-Wis ...

Wish Kids Mackenzie and McKayla join (left to right) Diane Kuppermann, president and CEO, Make-A-Wish Central New York; Dave Medvidofsky, vice president, human resources, The Main Street America Group; and Tom Van Berkel, Main Street America chairman and CEO, at the NGM Charitable Foundation's Honorarium Presentation Ceremony in Syracuse, N.Y. (Photo: Business Wire)

This included an honorarium from its NGM Charitable Foundation to nonprofit organizations in its eight office markets, as well as employee-driven food and toy drives which benefitted thousands of families and children.

Honorarium Program

Main Street America’s NGM Charitable Foundation supported a nonprofit organization in each of its eight office markets with its second annual Holiday Honorarium Program. A check presentation ceremony was held at each of the super-regional property/casualty insurance company’s eight offices in December. In total, the Foundation presented $28,500 to these organizations:

  • St. John’s Food for the Poor Program – Auburn, Mass.
  • Second Harvest Heartland – Maple Grove, Minn.
  • Make-A-Wish Greater Virginia – Richmond, Va.
  • Daniel Kids Foundation – Jacksonville, Fla.
  • Open Door Mission – Omaha, Neb.
  • Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana – Indianapolis, Ind.
  • Make-A-Wish Central New York – Syracuse, N.Y.
  • Rise for Baby and Family – Keene, N.H.

“In the spirit of holiday season giving, our 2016 Honorarium Program provided much-needed funding to eight nonprofit organizations that align with our Foundation’s mission,” said Tom Van Berkel, Main Street America’s chairman and chief executive officer. “This was an ideal way for us to support organizations that are making a significant impact in the communities where our employees work and live.”

Impactful Food and Toy Drives

Hundreds of families will reap the benefits of Main Street America’s 13th Annual Holiday Season Food Drive, where the company’s employees donated 1 ton of much-needed nonperishable goods to eight local food banks:

  • Auburn, Mass. – Worcester County Food Bank
  • Indianapolis, Ind. – Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana
  • Jacksonville, Fla. – Nourishment Network/Lutheran Social Services
  • Keene, N.H. – The Community Kitchen Inc.
  • Maple Grove, Minn. – Second Harvest Heartland
  • Omaha, Neb. – Food Bank for the Heartland
  • Richmond, Va. – Central Virginia Food Bank
  • Syracuse, N.Y. – The Food Bank of Central New York

Main Street America’s 13th Annual Holiday Season Toy Drive provided hundreds of toys to less fortunate children via Toys for Tots in Indiana, Florida, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York and Virginia; Project Share in the Monadnock Region of Southwestern New Hampshire and the Children’s Hospital of Minnesota in the Twin Cities area.

“Main Street America’s employees greatly expressed their generosity by giving back to our local communities again this year through our very impactful food and toy drives,” Van Berkel said. “They recognize the challenges many of our neighbors face every day and hope their contributions of food and toys made the holiday season brighter for thousands of children and families.”

About The Main Street America Group

With roots dating back to 1923, The Main Street America Group is a mutual insurance holding company which writes business through its nine property/casualty insurance carriers: NGM Insurance Company, Old Dominion Insurance Company, Austin Mutual Insurance Company, Grain Dealers Mutual Insurance Company, Main Street America Assurance Company, Great Lakes Casualty Insurance Company, MSA Insurance Company, Spring Valley Mutual Insurance Company and Main Street America Protection Insurance Company. Based in Jacksonville, Fla., Main Street America offers a wide range of commercial and personal insurance, as well as fidelity and surety bond products, to individuals, families and businesses throughout the United States.

With more than $1 billion in premium written exclusively by 2,500 independent insurance agents, the 93-year-old company insures 600,000 policyholders in 36 states and writes bonds in 47 states and the District of Columbia. A.M. Best Company rates The Main Street America Group with an "A" (Excellent) financial strength rating and “a+” issuer credit rating. The company has $1.1 billion in surplus (capital) and over $2.5 billion in total assets.

Main Street America is the founding company partner of Trusted Choice®, the global branding program of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America. Main Street America is also a founding company partner of the TrustedChoice.com consumer agent portal and the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) Research Center. For more information about Main Street America, please visit our newsroom at http://news.msagroup.com or connect with us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MainStreetAmerica.