There's something comforting about a lasagna. That's the message behind Lasagna Love, an international organization that began in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, recruiting volunteers to make and deliver lasagnas to people in need. Sandi Mauer, coordinator of Lasagna Love for Lancaster County, said the organization is looking for volunteers, as well as people who would like to receive a lasagna.

"We are here to help anyone in need, and there's no judgment whatsoever," Mauer stated. "The goal of the program is to feed families, spread kindness and strengthen communities."

Mauer began volunteering with Lasagna Love last summer, and she soon found out that the county coordinator for the program didn't live locally. She stepped up to organize efforts in the area, and lasagnas are currently delivered throughout Lancaster County by Lasagna Love volunteers.

"People can sign up for a lasagna if they have any need," Mauer explained, adding that people can sign up at https://lasagnalove.org/request. "It could be a financial need or a health issue or an emotional need, or anyone who just needs a break from life for a moment. They can request a lasagna, and then we match them up with a volunteer who will deliver it. We don't turn anyone down for any reason."

Mauer noted that Lasagna Love is a great program to volunteer with, because volunteers can set their own schedules. "If you only want to do one lasagna a month, you can do that," she remarked. "If you only want to make a lasagna one time, you can do it one time and be done. If you want to do four lasagnas a month, one every week, you can do that, too. You can also set up your own delivery radius and drive as far or as close as you want to deliver." She noted that there are options to make meat or vegetarian lasagnas and that lasagnas can be delivered unbaked or baked.

Lasagna Love began in 2020 when Rhiannon Menn founded the organization in San Diego to spread kindness through home-cooked meals. Mauer noted that a study of more than 30,000 people who have received lasagnas revealed the impact of the program. "Ninety-eight percent of the recipients said that they were inspired to pay it forward, and 21% had already done so within just a few days of receiving their lasagna," she noted, adding that they didn't necessarily make another lasagna, but did something for somebody else. "I really love the ripple effect of this project. It just makes me feel good to participate in this project." She also noted that quite often people who have been recipients of a lasagna become volunteers working for the organization.

Mauer, who says she enjoys cooking, noted that people do not have to be professional chefs to make a lasagna. "I follow different Lasagna Love groups on Facebook, and I'll see there are new people signing up to do it who say they've never made a lasagna before in their life," she stated. "You don't have to have any real cooking skills. You just have to be able to throw a lasagna together, and you just need to have a desire to want to help people."