Photo courtesy of Lasagna Love
Midtown resident Kelsey Horn was looking for a way to help those in her community when an idea came to her in the form of lasagna.
Horn saw a Twitter post by Gisele Fetterman, the wife of John Fetterman, lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, about an organization she had recently gotten involved with—Lasagna Love.
The national organization urges volunteers to bake their take on the meaty, cheesy pasta dish to deliver to a family in need of food.
“A lot of folks are struggling right now,” Horn said. “This seemed like a really easy way to give back to the community.”
She instantly connected with Lasagna Love’s unique mission, saying that she was inspired to use her grandmother’s lasagna recipe—her favorite.
Horn applied to become a volunteer and, within a few days, was matched with her first family.
Lasagna Love pairs “lasagna mamas and papas”–the term for their volunteers–with neighbors from each person’s community.
Founder Rhiannon Menn, also of the blog “Good to Mama,” started Lasagna Love at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the website, she hoped this would be a way to support those who are struggling financially or emotionally. On average, Lasagna Love delivers 3,500 meals a week across the country.
Erica Leyder, regional leader for central PA and Baltimore, Md., got involved with the organization in October 2020. She said that there are currently 105 volunteers in this area and 36 in Harrisburg specifically.
Horn, one of those volunteers, recently made her first lasagna for a family, picking up ingredients at the Broad Street Market. She delivered it to a woman in her neighborhood in Midtown. She plans to deliver a meal with Lasagna Love once a month.
“Being able to help in any way I can is very gratifying,” Horn said.
For those who don’t have the ability to cook lasagnas, they can financially support someone else to make the meals. There are other volunteer options, as well, on Lasagna Love’s website.
“During COVID, it’s easy to get stuck in your bubble,” Horn said. “But it’s important to help people.”
For more information on Lasagna Love or to volunteer, visit their website.
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