Guest blog: Lasagna Love Celebrates National Lasagna Day: A Day of Kindness, Community, and Connections
This blog is guest-written by Kathy Kirschner, local leader of Lasagna Love
This year’s National Lasagna Day was amazing! In the midst of summer, when the sun was shining bright and the days were long, the kitchens of Lasagna Love volunteers were buzzing with activity as they came together to celebrate what they do best—spreading love through lasagna. This celebration has truly become a cornerstone for Lasagna Love, and it’s all thanks to the incredible enthusiasm and dedication of its wonderful volunteers!
Annually, Lasagna Love celebrates National Lasagna Day (officially, July 29th) with an organization-wide goal of '10,000 lasagnas in 10 days'. Volunteers across the country, Australia, and Canada delivered pans of love to those who needed it most. The energy was electric as they rallied together, proving the power of kindness.
Locally, Omaha area volunteers made over 60 lasagnas and then served them on August 4th to 500-600 guests during the dinner shift at the Siena Francis House, which provides shelter, food, clothing, and other emergency services to individuals experiencing homelessness. Sgt. Peffer's Cafe Italian generously supported this event by donating five giant pans of their delectable lasagna. The kindness of all these volunteers warmed many hearts and filled many bellies.
Metro area volunteers also provided culinary hugs in the form of complimentary, homemade, hand-delivered lasagnas to 27 families throughout the Omaha area. These recipients had submitted requests through the Lasagna Love website, which welcomes requests from anyone needing a little support during a time of need, whether that need is financial, health-related, or emotional. Lasagna Love understands that asking for help can be daunting and seeks to destigmatize it with its policy of no questions asked, no judgments made. Dedicated and warm-hearted volunteers fulfill requests like these year round, not just during National Lasagna Day, and 500+ lasagnas have been provided in the Omaha metro area so far in 2024.
For Lasagna Love, National Lasagna Day isn’t just about making lasagna. It really is about making a difference, and this year they did just that! 🧡