A Lasagna Love volunteer puts the finishing touches on three lasagnas prepared for our families.

“Lasagna is a comfort food that fills the belly and soul!” says Lynn Hirsch, the global outreach director for Lasagna Love! So, in honor of National Lasagna Day on July 29, we salute our #MealsThatHeal group, Lasagna Love, and that signature Italian comfort dish.

Lasagna Love’s simple mission is to feed families, spread kindness and strengthen communities. When this amazing group heard Atlanta RMHC kitchens were closed during the pandemic, members sprang into action. “We found a commercial kitchen and made many lasagnas that could be frozen for future use,” Lynn says.

A Lasagna Love volunteer prepares four lasagnas for our families.

With the reopening of our kitchens at both Ronald McDonald Houses, Lasagna Love continues to pay it forward. “We are setting up a schedule for Lasagna Love volunteers to cook and serve dinner monthly at the House near Egleston, and we have chefs twice a month at the House near Scottish Rite for Casserole Club,” Lynn says. “Another thing Lasagna Love does is provide outreach cards to the families as they leave the Houses so that they are aware they can request meals at home while they navigate the new normal of life with a child with health issues.”

Lynn has been the force behind the Lasagna Love collaboration. “I have a history with Atlanta RMHC that goes back to a time when my sister and brother-in-law spent nine months living at the Gatewood House while my niece was being cared for at Egleston,” Lynn says. “My family has been trying to pay back that kindness for many years.”

Lasagna Love volunteers prepare the tomato sauce for their lasagnas for our families.

Starting as a regular volunteer with the Atlanta Lasagna Love chapter, Lynn has since become global outreach director, helping Lasagna Love get involved in numerous other U.S. RMHC chapters and arranging for Lasagna Love to be listed in our Global Donor Directory.

“Having two sisters with medically fragile children, I know the importance of the families having a safe haven. I love that RMHC provides this special place of comfort and care for families,” Lynn says. “The Houses are welcoming, and the staff is amazing.”

Lasagna Love was started by Rhiannon Menn at the beginning of the pandemic. She sought a way to help moms in her community. Alongside her toddler, Rhiannon started making and delivering meals to families who were struggling either financially, emotionally or simply feeling overwhelmed.