Delivering Bags of Hope

06/12/2026

📣Summer is here!📣

Stressing the importance of offering nutritious meals to children during the summer months, the School District of Janesville’s (SDJ) Student Nutrition Department announces the sponsorship of the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).

SFSP, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, provides nutritious meals to children during the summer, when free and reduced-price school meals are typically unavailable.

👉🏻Free meals will be made available to children 18 years of age and younger.

Persons older than 18 who are determined by a state or local public educational agency to be mentally or physically disabled and who also participate in a public or private nonprofit school program during the regular school year may receive free meals as well.

👉🏻Free meals will be served Mondays through Fridays this summer as detailed in the attached graphics. (Note: There will be no meals served Friday, July 3!)

SFSP meals are provided to eligible children regardless of race, color, national origin, age, gender or disability, and there will be no discrimination in the course of meal service. The USDA requires that all meals must be eaten on-site by participating children -- they cannot be taken home.

Below are also a few resources families can use to find free summer meals if they are not in the Janesville area.
-- Call 211
-- Text 'SFSP' to 914-342-7744
-- Check the Summer Meals Site Finder (https://www.fns.usda.gov/sfsp/sitefinder)
-- Visit the Summer Food Service Program Webpage (https://dpi.wi.gov/community-nutrition/sfsp)

06/11/2026

HUGE thank you to the Janesville Morning Rotary Foundation for awarding a $1,000 grant to support the Bags of Hope mission!

We are continuous grateful for all of the community partners that give so generously to help students facing food insecurity.

06/10/2026

If you need groceries now through June 14, stop by Festival Foods. You’ll have the opportunity to support Bags of Hope through a donation at the register!

We are so grateful to have Festival Foods as a community partner- helping students facing food insecurity.

06/08/2026

Thank you does not feel like enough.

Thank you to Nicole for being inspired by our mission and coordinating a donation with your company, CapSpecialty.

Together, they donated $5,000 to help students facing food insecurity in the School District of Janesville.

We are always looking for community partners that are willing to share our mission, help by stuffing snack bags, coordinating fundraisers, or are willing to host fundraisers on our behalf.

Email [email protected] for more information on how YOU can make a HUGE difference!

06/06/2026

As summer approaches, make sure you spread important information to anyone you know needing a little extra help when the kids are home for the summer:

👉🏻The following locations will serve free meals this summer (note that breakfast is provided only during summer school):

🛑No meals served on July 3rd.

June 15, 2026 - July 10, 2026

✨Lunch Time 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM✨

Harrison, Kennedy, Madison, Monroe, Roosevelt, Van Buren Elementary Schools,
Edison MS, Franklin MS, Marshall MS:
June 15, 2026 - July 10, 2026 Meal Time 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Craig HS:
June 15, 2026 - July 10, 2026 Meal Time 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Parker HS:
June 15, 2026 - July 10, 2026 Meal Time 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

RRC:
June 15, 2026 - July 31, 2026 Meal Time 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Bond Park Pavilion & Hedberg Public Library:
June 15, 2026 - July 31, 2026 Meal Time 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM

Adams & Jackson Elementary Schools
June 15, 2026 - July 31, 2026 Meal Time 11:00 AM - 1:30 PM

Boys & Girls Club

06/05/2026

Community partnerships are so crucial to small nonprofits like Bags of Hope.

We are so grateful to have a community partner like Restoration Candle Company!

Not only did Chloe donate $1,000 from her May farmers market sales to help students facing food insecurity; she helped open more doors for our program!

She created visibility for Bags of Hope. Because of that, another amazing person caught wind of what we do and convinced her company to donate $5,000!
-Post about that donation is coming soon.

Thank you so much for your partnership, Chloe!

04/22/2026

Bags of Hope could not be as effective without all of the amazing people that volunteer their time to make a difference in the lives of students facing food insecurity.

Happy Volunteer Week!

Today, we assembled and sorted 1,000 snack bags.
-9 totes are already on their way to schools
-Another 6 totes are heaping full and ready for when empty totes from any of our 22 schools (2 totes per school) return and are ready for more!

If your organization, group or business would like to help with snack bags, send a message or email [email protected]

04/17/2026

This is just PART of the supplies for our snack bag assembly on Tuesday!

We have run out of the snack bags we supply to every school. They are given out to students facing food insecurity, and we have distributed over 10,000 bags just this school year!

I am only one person, though. In order to get these bags restocked to help students finish out the year strong, I need YOUR help! Our goal is to complete 1,000 snack bags!

When
Tuesday 4/21, from 4 PM-5:30 PM (or whenever we finish up, could be sooner with more help)

Where: The School District of Janesville District Office at 527 S Franklin St.

Who: Bring anyone that would like to help, even if all the slots on the sign-up genius below are full, bring them!

What we will be doing:
It is just putting four snacks, an allergy label and a cute message into a ziploc bag and sealing it. We will have some folks opening boxes and crushing down others to take to the recycling bins, but with many hands.... :)

Sign-up here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054AA5AB2BABFBCE9-63565380-snack

04/07/2026

We are so grateful for community support! Thank you Chloe & Restoration Candle Company!

🥁 THE RECIPIENT OF OUR MAY 2026 GIVEAWAY IS…
BAGS OF HOPE! 🥁

What does this mean? In the month of May, we will donate 15% of our sales from the Janesville Farmers Market, Inc to Bags of Hope. 🥳

Why Bags of Hope? BOH works year round (not just during the school year) bringing essentials, food, school supplies, and more to hundreds of families, children, and elderly people in Rock County. They provide resources and help to those who really need it. 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒

How can you help? Come out and buy a candle! Bring your mom, brother, aunt, bestie, daughter, or whoever! Got a rich friend? Bring them too! 🤭

Who was last years recipient? Janesville Community Center, Inc. was the 2025 recipient. We were able to give almost $800 in cold, hard, cash. 💰

This is why I live for the saying: “support local because local supports you.” 🖤

Please share to get the word out!