JANESVILLE The Janesville School District invites local residents to Come on Down! for its next Bags of Hope food drive as local families struggle more and more to put food on the table.
The district is introducing a Price is Right gameshow theme to its annual set Oct. 10 from 1-4 p.m. at the UAW Hall (1795 Lafayette St.). The district took on the annual food drive after the closure of the General Motors plant.
The event will operate much like the famous TV game show of the same name. Participants will spin and bid on items. They will have the opportunity to win prizes. There will be games inspired by the TV show.
This years Bags of Hope will roll out as food insecurity in Rock County is on the rise.
Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin supported 65,000 recipients in 2026 through food pantries and school markets. The Dane County-based non-profit serves 16 counties, including Rock County along with neighboring Green and Jefferson Counties. The organization also contributes to BigFoot Emergency Food Pantry in Walworth County.
Second Harvest analyzes data in Feeding Americas study, which gathers information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Census Bureau on food insecurity. The data lags, as the most recent report shows data from 2024.
But what Second harvest knows is that a growing number of people in Rock County are becoming food insecure. Kris Tazelaar, Second Harvest Southern Wisconsin media and public relations manager, said data shows families of four are coming up $2,800 short annually to buy food.
According to the 2026 Map the Meal Gap study, 22,000 people in Rock County were identified as food insecure. Thats an 11% jump over the same data collected in the 2025 report, and it has hit families with children hardest.
The data shows about one-third of all food-insecure residents in the county are younger than 18 years old, a 19% climb from the year prior.
The full scope of food insecurity has worsened significantly over the last half-decade.
Overall, food insecurity increased 69% in Rock County from 2022 to 2026, according to the Map the Meal Gap study. Now, roughly 1 in 8 Rock County residents report they cant afford enough food their needs, according to the study.
Tazelaar wouldnt point to one specific food item that costs more or that is particularly harder to attain. He said food overall is among major necessities that residents are finding harder to afford including rent and vehicle fuel.
Those at the bottom 10% of the wage scale are stung hardest by rising costs.
In some cases, those wages have gone up by 12 to 13%, which sounds really good, but then when you compare that with things going up 25% or 30%, its almost like youre going a little backwards, Tazelaar said.
Second Harvest sees the same affordability gap in many other communities, not just Rock County.
Contestants to Bags of Hopes Price is Right event must be 18 or older, although those younger may be a part of the events audience.
Tickets for those 18 and older are $30, with ticket prices of $15 and under for those who are younger.