Foundation donates $25,000 for Kouts library garden

Even as the Porter County Public Library System works to open a new garden library in Hebron this year, it continues to receive donations for those already open at other branches.

This includes a $25,000 donation to the 1ère Source Foundation for the Kouts Library Garden, which opened in June.

The foundation has already donated $25,000 to the Portage Library garden.

“We are thrilled to receive this generous grant from the 1st Source Foundation,” PCPLS Director Jesse Butz said in a press release. “Their continued support allows us to expand our gardens and provide many opportunities for our community to engage and connect with each other.” »

The Kouts Library garden features a large fiberglass pig, a nod to the town’s history of hosting the annual Pork Fest and to Harold Heinold’s Heinold Hog Market, which put the town on the map for hog farmers and commodity traders. The pig is still available for a $10,000 sponsorship.

A pollination station is also present, allowing visitors to plant and care for flowers, available to sponsor for $4,500. Other features are also available for sponsorships.

“The 1st Source Foundation is pleased to support the Porter County Public Library System with this grant,” Matt Vessely, 1st Source Bank West Region President, said in the release. “Early literacy is an essential part of a strong community, and spaces like the Kouts Library Garden bring people together to use the library’s vast resources.

The Hebron Library Garden, the latest branch to see one, will feature a $28,000 buried piano funded by the Hebron Redevelopment Commission as well as other features intended to reflect the character of the community.

Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.