SOMERVILLE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — "Lasagna Love" started as a friendly gesture from a young mom in Somerville and now it's turned into a nationwide empire of generosity.
"There's something about lasagna that feels warm, inviting and joyful," Lasagna Love founder Rhiannon Menn said.
When the pandemic hit earlier this year, Menn heard about moms in Somerville that had lost their jobs, lost their childcare and were just feeling stressed out during these tough times.
She decided to start buying extra groceries to make meals for people struggling. She said you don't have to be struggling financially for a homemade and free meal.
Menn and her daughter started to make lasagna and deliver it to families in the community.
This idea of generosity, once it hit the internet and got some publicity, caught on.
"At first it was just a couple new cities and a couple new states and sometime at the beginning of October, we had thousands of people signing up," Menn said.
She said they went from people signed up in 13 states to people signed up in all 50 states. She adds they now have over 3,000 "Lasagna Mamas and Papas" across the country.
Menn said they make more than just lasagna with some Mamas making baked ziti and shepherd's pie for families.
"As long as it's comfort food and a big enough dish to feed a family," Menn said.
To sign up to receive a free meal, to become a Lasagna Mama or to sponsor the program you can head over to Lasagna Love's website.
WBZ NewsRadio's Chris Fama (@CFamaWBZ) reports
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(Photo: Chris Fama/WBZ NewsRadio)