“Feed families, spread kindness and strengthen communities.” Local leader Deea Hobbs said Lasagna Love’s heartfelt mission is to connect neighbors with neighbors…in the form of a free lasagna.
“We get requests from people who may have a sick family member, they may be in the hospital themselves, they may be homeless," she said. "We have delivered meals to people who live in tents, we have delivered meals to people in mansions.”
She said it doesn’t matter the situation or circumstance; sometimes the need is someone just feels overwhelmed and Lasagna Love provides a meal, no questions asked.
Hobbs said the nonprofit was founded during the pandemic when California mom Rhiannon Menn wanted to help families who were unemployed or feared leaving their home for groceries. She asked if anyone needed a free meal on Facebook and as people took her up on her offer, others asked if they could help with cooking.
Three years later, this grassroots nonprofit has 45,000 volunteers in three countries and estimates 1.6 million people have been impacted by the kindness of a home-cooked meal delivery.
The process is simple: To request a meal, fill out the form at lasagnalove.org or nominate someone in need and they will be matched with a local volunteer. She said people can specify if they have dietary restrictions and volunteers can offer something other than lasagna if they prefer.
Hobbs said it's a tricky balance. In some areas, they have more need than volunteers. In Summit and Wasatch counties, they are looking for families in need. She said providing a hot meal is always heartwarming for her.
“I received a text message on Christmas Eve that said, ‘You delivered a lasagna to me last month and I don't know where to turn. I thought I was going to be getting a food box from the food bank but for some reason I didn't receive it. I don’t know where I can go to find food for my family.’ " said Hobbs. "And so, I had a frozen lasagna in my freezer, so I pulled it out of the freezer. I baked it and drove it straight to her.”
Hobbs said Lasagna Love is about reminding people they’re not alone. “Life is hard. But we're all in it together. Sometimes I get a warm welcome and a great ‘thank you.’ Sometimes I don't hear a single word from them. And that's totally fine. I'm not doing this for the gratitude. We're not doing this for any recognition. It's something that I just do because I want to help people.”
Helping people comes in many forms and for Lasagna Love, it’s layered between silky sheets of ribboned pasta and gooey cheese.
