Since moving to Georgia, I have been looking for ways to take some time to get plugged into my community by volunteering and meeting new people. I work from home, which is great, but I also crave in-person human interaction and getting out of the house from time to time and I felt that volunteering would be a great way to do that. Killing two birds with one stone by getting my extroverted needs fulfilled along with helping the community and meeting new people. Win-win.
I came across the opportunity to volunteer with Lasagna Love when I heard about it from a college friend that I recently reconnected with. Together we met on the designated Volunteer Day at the Atlanta Ronald McDonald House (ARMHC) and prepared freezer meals as part of the ARMHC’s ‘Casserole Club. If you are unfamiliar with the Ronald McDonald House Charities, they provide housing, care mobiles, family rooms, and community resources to families who have children who are injured, ill, or in recovery. While volunteering, I was able to chat with Jennifer about how she got involved with Lasagna Love and the ARMHC and wanted to share more about what you can do to help your community through something as simple as baking a lasagna for families in need.
Jennifer Fischer is a brand and marketing director and a mom of two. She has been volunteering with Lasagna Love for the past 3 years and filled me in on all of the details of what Lasagna Love is and how you can get involved.
Dominique: “What is Lasagna Love?”
Jennifer: “It was a movement started by Rhiannan Menn, a mom blogger and chef during the Covid-19 pandemic. Prompted by the struggles she saw in her own community, she created a platform that connects neighbors to families in need, to provide home-cooked meals. Many families experienced joblessness (and varying degrees of hopelessness) during the pandemic, and this was a small way that we could remind one another that we are all in this together. Over the past couple of years, this has turned into a national movement with volunteers across the country!”
Dominique: “What is required to volunteer?”
Jennifer: “To be a volunteer lasagna chef, you sign up via the volunteer portal on the Lasagna Love website and fill out a form. Then, go request to join the GA Lasagna Love Facebook page! This page is ONLY for GA-based Lasagna Love volunteers, where we will share all sorts of updates and opportunities! You must be able to provide all of your own cooking supplies and have a kitchen where you can prepare food (a home kitchen is fine since this is a mutual aid endeavor). You must have reliable transportation and a mobile phone, as you will also coordinate delivery with the person/family you have been connected with to provide a meal for.
If you are in Atlanta and would like to volunteer to prepare freezer meals as part of the ‘Casserole Club’ for Atlanta Ronald McDonald House (ARMHC), visit their site to learn about the various opportunities. Preparing meals will require you to be able to bring your own lasagna (or whatever casserole you like to make) ingredients, pans, etc., and meet on the designated Volunteer Day at ARMHC to prepare your meals in their kitchen.
Dominique: “What if I know a family that would benefit from Lasagna Love, how would they sign up to receive a meal?”
Jennifer: Please submit your meal request via the Lasagna Love request portal here. There are not any special criteria to request. If you are in need (or know someone who is), you will be matched with a local volunteer (if one is in your area).
“Volunteering has always been a part of my fabric of life. I think there’s no greater way to contribute to the greater good of one’s own community than by spending time nurturing it with your own skills and talents! I love to cook (and casseroles are my favorite!) so this was a natural fit for me. I work full time and have 2 small children, so work-life balance can be tricky. While I started out as a local volunteer, preparing and delivering meals to neighbors in need, I found that once I had two little ones, this became less easy as I had less flexibility on the weekends. So, I started dedicating my time instead to the Lasagna Love hosted Casserole Club days at ARMHC! It involves a 2-3 hour time commitment once a month which I could schedule work around. The volunteer staff at ARMHC said they NEVER have leftovers! They utilize every meal we make, and will even transport them to their other location when they are low on meals. We always appreciate extra volunteers!”
