New for Fall 2019, Kokomo Rescue Mission is having a Fall Food Drive, from Saturday September 14 through Monday October 7, 2019.  We are asking our community and area churches to gather Canned Food items to help re-stock our pantry.  The items are used in meals for our public dining room, for the residents of our shelters, and our food pantry. In 2018 KRM served 118,999 free meals.

Fall Food Drive grocery bags, provided by FCA Chrysler, will be inserted into 7,000 copies of the Kokomo Tribune newspaper on Friday September 13 throughout Kokomo and Howard County. Grocery bags are also available at local churches and at drop-off locations around Kokomo to be filled with canned food.

Requested food items include:

• Canned Fruit
• Canned Vegetables
• Canned Soup
• Canned Tomatoes
• Chili/Soup Beans
• Hearty-Style Soup
• Ravioli with Meat
• Spaghetti-O’s (meat)
• Canned Stew
• Canned Chili (meat)
• Canned Tuna
• Canned Meat
• Spaghetti Sauce
• Peanut Butter
• Salad Dressing
• Salt & Black Pepper

Here are the locations available for the public to drop off the filled bags:

• Kokomo Rescue Mission – 321 W. Mulberry St.
• Gordon Food Services (GFS) – 1745 E. Haven St.
• Sam’s Club – 1917 E. Markland St.
• Save-A-Lot – 1303 E. Morgan St.
• Waddell’s IGA – 125 W. Main St., Russiaville
• Walmart – 1920 E. Markland Ave.
• Community First Bank Locations:
  • Downtown – 201 W. Sycamore St.
  • West Branch – 2101 S. Dixon Rd.
  • Hoffer Branch – 1308 E. Hoffer St
• Cross America – 840 Daniel Dr.
• Financial Builders Federal Credit Union
  • Main Location – 2828 S. LaFountain St.
• First Farmer’s Bank & Trust Locations:
  • Northeast – 2041 N. Reed St.
  • Kokomo South – 410 Flint Way
  • Downtown Square – 101 W. Sycamore St.
  • Central Branch – 501 W. Lincoln Rd.
• Solidarity Community FCU Locations:
  • Main Location – 201 E. Southway Blvd
  • Dixon Square – 118 N. Dixon Rd.

The Fall Food Drive is essential to our ministry helping us to fight hunger in our community.  We would like to encourage churches to be a part of this new event.  Here are some ways to participate:

• Collect Large, Industrial size (#10) cans of Fruit (helpful for meals served at the Mission).
• Request grocery bags for your church members to fill and return with canned food.
• Have your youth group or another group in the church pick up donations from one of the drop-off locations. This would include picking up donations and replenishing grocery bags at least 2 times per week during the drive and at the end of the drive.

There will be a competition for the youth group whose church has collected the most food (by weight) and the most large cans of fruit.  The Mission will provide a pizza party for the winning church(es).

For more information, please contact the Special Event and Volunteer Coordinator at KRM by calling 765-456-3838.