This article is brought to you by the Kokomo Downtown Farmers Market. Happy Saturday, everyone! It’s a great day to visit the Market! Make sure to head to the intersection of Mulberry and Washington streets today, May 16, from 9 a.m. until noon for the next farmers market! Check out dozens of booths from local vendors, selling plants and produce, meats and treats, crafts and cookies, and so much more!

The Kokomo Downtown Farmers Market is open each Saturday through mid-October. SNAP benefits are accepted, and kids can learn and play as part of its Little Sprouts program, teaching the importance of good nutrition. Can’t wait to see you at the Market!

The Howard County Meal Equivalency (HoME) Food Program will operate again this summer to provide free lunches and take-home meals for K-12 students throughout Howard County. This program, developed last summer in response to the loss of the Indiana Sun Bucks Summer EBT program, aims to ensure local children continue to have access to nutritious meals during the summer months.

Kokomo distribution sites will begin operation on Wednesday, June 3, and the Russiaville site will begin Thursday, June 4. All sites will operate for eight weeks, with the final distribution days taking place July 22 (Kokomo) and 23 (Russiaville). In addition to the scheduled distribution sites, the program also will partner with the Kokomo Fire Department’s “Spray and Play” program to provide meals at various parks throughout the summer. See their summer schedule for details.

Students may visit any distribution site once per week to receive a free, ready-to-eat lunch and a bag of take-home food items, while supplies last. No identification, registration, or EBT verification is required. This program is open to all K-12 students in Howard County.

Distribution schedule:

Kokomo locations, Wednesdays, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., June 3 – July 22

• - Garden Square Apartments community room (coordinated by Bridgeway Church)
• - Pine Valley Apartments community room (coordinated by Northview Church)
• - Al Berryman Park/North Splash Pad (coordinated by Crossroads Community Church)
• - Bon Air Park (coordinated by Morning Star Church)
• - Grace Baptist Church gymnasium/cafeteria (coordinated by church staff)
• - Mohr Park (coordinator to be determined)

Russiaville location, Thursdays, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., June 4 – July 23

• - Honey Creek Church (coordinated by church staff)

The HoME Food Program relies upon donations and community support to operate throughout the summer. Monetary and food donations are accepted to help this program support local youth, as well as the local economy by purchasing lunches from local restaurants.

Interested donors can sponsor a meal or a site by making a monetary donation to United Way of Howard and Tipton Counties via check, cash, or through the online donation portal. A donation of $250 will cover one site’s ready-to-eat meal for one week, and $2,000 will cover one site’s meals for the duration of the program.

For more information, to volunteer, or to make food donations, please reach out to Bethany Wenger, Public Health Projects Manager for the Howard County Health Department, at Bethany.wenger@howardcountyin.gov or 765-860-4177. Food donations can be scheduled to drop off at the program’s storage and packing facility, or a program volunteer can pick them up from you at your convenience.