Are you a cook who would like to share your talents by cooking a meal for a family in need?
If so, Lasagna Love, a volunteer-run not-for-profit organization may be the avenue for you to share your talent, and volunteers are direly needed in the Dillon County area.
Lasagna Love is an international viral grassroots movement that aims to positively impact communities by connecting neighbors with neighbors through homemade meal delivery.
Lasagna Love began somewhat by accident due to how negatively the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the lives of many at the very basic needs level. Food insecurity among children skyrocketed quickly; an issue further compounded by shifting home and work priorities heavily shouldered by parents and heads of households. In an effort to alleviate some of the pressure, Rhiannon Menn, founder of Good to Mama, started delivering homemade lasagnas to families needing a bit of care. She saw an opportunity to be good to other parents during an unprecedented time of challenge. Her social posts offering help not only garnered meal requests, they resulted in other neighbors asking how to get involved and in May 2020 “Lasagna Love” was born. This movement of kindness today spans the entirety of the United States — currently reaching all 50 states in America, more than 1,000 cities including major metropolitan areas. It is supported by more than 25,000 volunteers who are delivering, on average, 2,500 meals a week across the country. They are now feeding families in Canada and Australia as well. They have delivered more than 150,000 meals and have fed more than 600,000 individuals.
Currently, there are families on the list in both Dillon and Latta who are waiting on a meal. There are no volunteers to provide it here or within a 50-mile radius of Florence. The group is hoping to build a local network of volunteers here in Dillon County.
“Lasagna Love exists to deliver comfort where we experience it most often – our family dining table – and to prove that even small displays of kindness can have profound and lasting impact,” said Lasagna Love founder Rhiannon Menn. “Our mission is not only to help address the rise in food insecurity, but to also provide a simple act of love and kindness during a time of uncertainty and stress and reduce stigmas associated with people asking for help when it is needed most. We accomplish this by creating an easy and accessible way for every person to help a neighbor in need in a way that is comfortable and meaningful for them.”
Becoming a Lasagna Chef is easy. Anyone can volunteer to be matched with a family in need and the volunteer experience is very flexible. If a volunteer or family can deliver one lasagna or other hearty meal, it is a welcome gift. If they can do more, Lasagna Love can match them with several families needing support. Lasagna Love volunteers have graciously tailored deliveries–dietary restricted and allergy-friendly– to the needs of each family. In fact, previously supported Lasagna Love families have signed-on as volunteers and are, today, paying it forward to other families in their community. By serving those within our immediate community, Lasagna Love volunteers know to whom they are gifting a meal and recipients know from where their meal came. This model ensures that each participant experiences the impact of giving and receiving–a memory they won’t soon forget.
As a volunteer-run movement of kindness, Lasagna Love welcomes extra pairs of hands as well as donations from individuals and local businesses which go to supporting operations or for groceries needed by volunteers who are able to prepare big batch deliveries but can’t afford the ingredients to make them.
“No one needs to feel helpless at a time like this,” continued Menn. “Lasagna Love makes it easy for anyone to support others in their own community and as we’ve learned in our short, yearlong journey, your actions don’t have to be big to make a big impact.”
Lasagna Love positively impacts the community through homemade meal delivery and random acts of kindness. The volunteer run program abides by three simple principles: feed families, spread kindness and strengthen communities.
The easiest way to get involved is to visit lasagnalove.org/volunteer or visit their social channels, @WeAreLasagnaLove (Instagram and Facebook). or contact Carla Jo Martin, Outreach Team Lead, at lasagnalovecarlajo@gmail.com.
