How to do it:

Sign up with Lasagna Love and they’ll onboard you. A local or regional coordinator will orient you and at some point you’ll get a request for a lasagna. You can check this zip-code map to see if there are already active volunteers in your area, but remember: they have regional coordinators and need volunteers to expand coverage. You won’t be on your own! You have a lot of latitude in how to make it and will make delivery arrangements with the recipient.

     As a volunteer lasagna chef, I sign up for how often I want to be matched (every week, every other week, just one time). I can adjust this schedule at any time, and add/remove individual weeks at any time.
     Monday or Tuesday each week, matches are assigned, and I receive an automated email directing me to the volunteer portal. There I see the name and contact info the family I'm matched with, along with number of people and food restrictions. I text them to coordinate when I will make and drop off a lasagna to them, generally later that week. I update the portal when I've scheduled and when I've delivered, or if I don't get a response.
     I can use any lasagna recipe I want, though I check preferences with the recipient. I am allowed to include extras (e.g. salad, dessert), but I should be clear that they are extras and that the expectation from Lasagna Love is only a lasagna. I need to include an ingredients list for any food I deliver. The volunteer portal includes mandatory training videos (especially on food safety), sample lasagna recipes, templates for contacting recipients, and templates for delivery notes. I email my regional leader directly if I have any questions. There is also a global discussion group.          
                               – K, a friend who volunteers with LL

If you love doing it, Costco carries bulk shredded mozzarella and if you have a Business Costco nearby (any member can shop there) they have a stunning price on bulk ricotta and also carry foil pans. Consider freezing a stack of lasagnas once a month, or even putting together a work party!

Donate to the program

You can also donate to the program to help a volunteer with time but a limited budget make more lasagnas. This is a great way to double your contribution: many people with time on their hands really want to help others, and the opportunity to do more of that can be empowering.

What if I need a lasagna?

There’s a sign-up on the web site! You can request one lasagna every four weeks and there is no qualifying reason — maybe you love lasagna and don’t know how to make it! They ask you to be open to as wide a variety of recipes as possible, and cannot accommodate truly serious food allergies, since all lasagnas are made in home kitchens. If you need lasagna by a specific date (birth, surgery…) consider ordering well ahead and freezing it. Dates are not guaranteed.