Lasagna Love's Rhiannon Menn: How a Simple Act of Kindness Turned into a Global Movement

What started out as a simple way for mom Rhiannon Menn to connect with her neighbors in need during the pandemic, has grown into a global movement of kindness. Regardless of the reason, Lasagna Love has been providing "Lasagna Hugs" to more than two million people around the world, many of whom have continued the circle of giving by performing their own random acts of kindness. In this interview, Rhiannon shares some touching moments inspired by those "Hugs" ... and a very personal story that brings this movement full circle. To learn more about the organization, become a recipient, or donate, visit www.lasagnalove.org.

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Transcript

Rhiannon Menn: [00:00:00] It doesn't matter what the reason is. The only thing that matters is that you feel that need to raise your hand. If you feel like this would be helpful for you, that's the only qualifier. You know, that's, that's all we want is we're here to spread that kindness to whoever it is, whatever you're walking through.

Michelle Dawn Mooney: Hey, it's Michelle. Welcome to conversations. I'm excited to introduce you to some new guests. in the coming months, but in the meantime, this conversation is from the vault. While summer usually brings thoughts of grilling hot dogs and hamburgers, you may not have known that it's also the season when we celebrate Lasagna Awareness Month, which is officially recognized in July.

Lasagna is at the heart of this episode's conversation from a literal and figurative sense. The comfort food favorite helped launch a delicious kindness movement started by mom Rhiannon Mann, who was looking to find a way to give back during the pandemic. Today, the nonprofit organization Lasagna Love is connecting hundreds of thousands of families around the globe with willing sponsors happy to give so [00:01:00] called lasagna hugs to those in need.

Whether the need is physical, financial, or otherwise. Perhaps my favorite part of this interview comes at the end, when this story comes full circle. I hope you love it as much as I do. Here's my conversation with Lasagna Love founder, Rhiannon Min. Tell us how Lasagna Love got started. 

Rhiannon Menn: Sure, so I like to say that it was a giant accident, because genuinely it was.

This was back in March of 2020, so very beginning of the pandemic, and we were living in San Diego at the time. And very suddenly everything shut down. The parks were closed. The beaches were closed. I had two little kids, um, nowhere to take them. Um, grocery stores, no, no one was going to, the streets were just empty and I felt very helpless.

And I was looking for anything that I could do to support my community, but all of the volunteer opportunities had shut down as well. So you couldn't volunteer at a food bank. Um, I couldn't even find a blood drive to donate to. And I just, [00:02:00] I felt this pull to do something. And for me, you know, you said in the beginning, you know, food, food is love for me.

You know, the way to your heart is through your stomach. I'm totally all in on that. And so I just started making meals and delivering them to people that I found through Facebook groups. So I post, and these mom's groups that I was a part of and just say, Hey, you know, if you're struggling, whatever that means for you, like, please, please, please let me bring you dinner for a night.

I'll drop it off at your door, contactless. And, you know, it wasn't selfishly, well, you know, it wasn't just to help them. It gave me, it made me feel like I had a purpose. And I think, um, naively I thought, okay, you know, I'll make a few meals. The pandemic will last a few weeks, maybe a month, and then we'll all go back to normal.

Um, and clearly that didn't happen. And, and I started getting messages from people saying, I'm not, you know, I'm not going to raise my hand for a meal, but, um, I do want to raise my hand to cook. Are there enough families to go around? Like I'm, I'm feeling like I need to do something and this really fits.

And so really organically, I just started [00:03:00] saying yes, absolutely, and figuring it out, and first it was a few volunteers in San Diego, and then other states, and all of a sudden I found myself running an organization, or you know, I'd like to say more of a movement across the country of people who work really passionately wanted to, you know, connect with somebody in their community during this time.

Um, and that desire to connect and to help and to, to give has, has sustained, I would say, you know, even though we're, we're sort of emerging from the pandemic, um, you know, we still have thousands and thousands and thousands of volunteers all cooking, um, and delivering meals to people. 

Michelle Dawn Mooney: It's so wonderful.

And I want to dive deeper into exactly how lasagna love works, but. Let me ask you a little bit about your background, because as you said, it kind of happened by accident. So here we are in the pandemic, which threw everybody for a loop in the worst way possible. And a lot of people found themselves forced to reinvent themselves.

You were one of those people in a way, because you were just kind of looking for something to do, a way to give of yourself, which [00:04:00] turned into a life change, a profession change for you. So can you give us a little background about where you were, where you kind of came from? And you know, how early on did you see or even feel the seeds planted for lasagna love looking back on your life?

Rhiannon Menn: So I, you know, I wouldn't have said this at the time, but now that I've had time to reflect that, you know, I think, you know, That the spark for this goes back even to my childhood where, you know, my mom really instilled in me this, this sense of, you know, giving to others and contributing and being a part of the community, I remember, you know, she and I would bake together for, um, to raise money at the local library bake sale and, you know, we would, she would take me to sing at nursing homes.

I've been a singer my whole life and I would go and sing Christmas carols and Hanukkah songs to people who didn't necessarily have a family to celebrate with, and it just, you it was a normal part of who I was growing up. And so, you know, I think that was the foundation that the natural question for me to ask when the pandemic hit was, what can I do?

Where is there a gap to fill? Who needs help? [00:05:00] And so I, I think that was, you know, it's just sort of. Been a part of me, but then there's the sort of more technical side of, you know, running an organization and like, what does that look like? And I, you know, I look back at my career and I think most people have like the, you know, they go to college, they get a degree, they sort of follow this linear path and I was all over the place, you know, I was on a political campaign, I did nonprofit consulting, I worked in real estate, I went to business school, you know, I tried a lot of different things that didn't really seem to mesh until lasagna love.

And now. All of a sudden, all of these really like disparate skill sets that seem to have no relationship all fuse really nicely into, into this organization where, you know, I've managed volunteers. I love data. I, you know, I've, I've done all the, all the pieces of this. And, you know, I think nobody else would, would have that background.

And it makes me feel like The universe sort of presented me with this opportunity, um, at the right time, in the right place, at the right time, and this was just kind of meant to [00:06:00] be. I know maybe that sounds like silly, but I genuinely feel like this was all meant to happen as it did. 

Michelle Dawn Mooney: When you follow your heart, it led you exactly where you were supposed to be.

And I think that's such an important lesson for people listening out there because if you're still in a phase, no matter how old you are, it's never too late to really find your passion. And you know, I think it's beautiful that you're able to, your profession and your passions have come together and you're able to do this and help so many people.

So let's talk about, you brought up a great point with your mom and how. You had this early in your family of helping people and that was kind of always a part of your life. You have three little ones now. So talk to me if you can about the impact they have had with Lasagna Love. I know they're young, but can you give any examples of what they've seen mommy do and how that makes you feel to see that?

Rhiannon Menn: I think I didn't realize how important it was for my kids to have the same experience that I had growing up until it happened. And [00:07:00] I think especially for my daughter, so she was three when the pandemic started, my son was one and my other son wasn't born yet. So they were kind of too little to really understand what was going on.

Although my one year old did eat his fair share of shredded cheese. Um, but you know, my three year old, She was at a point where, you know, she knew something had changed, and she and I would cook together. And she liked, she liked cooking. She liked, you know, putting the noodles in the pan, and, you know, spreading the cheese and the sauce.

Like, she really liked being a part of that. But she also started to really have a sense of, of what we were doing. You know, she knew we weren't just making meals for us. She knew, you know, You know, she would say, Mama, are we can today, can we make a zanya pasta? She would call it, we make a zanya pasta for ninos who are sad.

So she knew that there were people out there who needed this kindness or who needed food. Um, and I love that that became part of her language. You know, I remember this one, this, uh, early on this one delivery. And it was to a mom who, um, her youngest had He was severely immunocompromised. He had had a heart transplant when [00:08:00] he was six days old.

And she, um, she was scared to leave the house to go grocery shopping because no one knew, you know, what is, what does COVID mean for somebody, um, who, who's immunocompromised in that little. And, um, she reached out to me. And said, not, you know, not only would a meal be helpful, but, you know, it's his birthday coming up and I want to give him something special.

So I just think a lasagna would be wonderful. And I told my daughter about this and she didn't just want to deliver lasagna pasta when she heard it was his birthday. She wanted to make him a card and to make him cookies, to give him something to celebrate. And I just, it made me, I don't know if proud is the right word, but it filled my heart to know that she was thinking about it in this way.

That she was thinking about, you know, what if it were me and my birthday, what would I want? What would make me happy? And like, how can we make this little boy's birthday that much more special? And I just remember, Dropping off, you know, the lasagnas to her along with the cookies and the card as a surprise and her text afterward just saying like how excited and surprised he [00:09:00] was and how grateful she was and we don't, none of us do this for the thank you, but we, we do do it for the, the, the knowing.

of the feeling that we're, we're giving to somebody that like we're, we're, we're providing that spark, that, that, um, that happiness, that surprise, that joy. And I think we've all, all of us, you know, not just me, but all of the lasagna chefs and the volunteers have all had, you know, an experience like this.

And it's, it's what keeps us going when we don't hear from a recipient. We know because we've seen it before. We like, we know what joy that can bring. Yeah. To circle back, I think, You know, having, having her have that experience in that language as part of her childhood, it'll just become a part of her. I think the way that it became a part of me.

Michelle Dawn Mooney: That is so beautiful. And, you know, tearing up because it gives you the chills to think of just how many people are being impacted and not just on the side of the recipient. But the giver as well for your little girl to say, I want to make a birthday card and cookies and she wanted to make it so special for him and starting them off young to realize how [00:10:00] beautiful it is to give of yourself and to to give from your heart.

So not only as you said, you started in San Diego, did you go statewide and then you went to another state, another state. How many people are you serving across the country, basically, right? 

Rhiannon Menn: So all over the US, Australia, Canada, at this point, I think we're in more places than I even know about. But I remember still when, you know, it was me and 10 people in San Diego.

And I remember when we were like, Oh my gosh, like, We've made a hundred lasagnas. We've like fed a hundred families. That's amazing. And we were so excited and so proud. And, and, you know, I never, I never imagined that we would be at the kind of scale we're at today where just in July, we, we fed a million people and that I can't even say that out loud without.

Just being so, so grateful to all of the volunteers who, um, who are a part of this, who felt, um, inspired, who felt motivated, who, you know, cook either once a week or once a month, whatever it is, but they, they just [00:11:00] felt the need to do something in their community. And. I, I, I mean, I, I, there's, I don't even have any words for the gratitude that I feel that we can feed that many people just with this like teeny tiny little idea of like one mom in her kitchen who was, 

Michelle Dawn Mooney: you know, feeling all the feelings.

Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, COVID was just such a hard time for everybody involved and we were all looking for comfort in any way we could. So the people that were receiving and the people that were giving, you know, equally getting that dose of medicine because is that helpers high that we always think of.

So let's get down to the nitty gritty of how we can get more people involved. Because here's the thing. There are always the times when people are going through hardships when people are just down, it's not necessarily even financial, it's emotional, it's physical, there's just so much where people just need a little bit of a boost.

And then you have on the flip side, other people that are just like chomping at the bit to do something to be able to give. So how do we become 

Rhiannon Menn: So if you like to cook, or even if you're [00:12:00] like, I could probably try making a lasagna, I guarantee you it's the love that you put into it that people taste. So, uh, if you can go to our website, you can find us at lasagnalove.

org, and sign up to be a volunteer chef if you like to cook, and we intentionally make it so It's super easy. So we want to make sure that, uh, you know, it works for your schedule or your budget. So people can cook once a week or once a month, you can feed one family at a time or 20 at a time. And, um, it's a really wonderful way to, to give back.

I mean, especially during the holiday season. But, um, you know, the rest of the year people need kindness just as much. And then if you are like, not the kitchen is like not your thing, but you love this idea of a kindness movement, tell us what you'd like to do, or we're a really unique organization in that we're almost entirely volunteer led.

So, you know, we have volunteers who do outreach and data and all sorts of things. So they, they, they donate their skillset instead of their cooking skills. Um, but on the flip side, I think it's just as important to, to talk about, you know, their. There's so much going on in the [00:13:00] world right now. And I think there are a lot of people who could use the kindness of a home cooked meal delivered, who may be hesitant to raise their hands.

Cause they don't consider themselves in need the way we've traditionally thought about that. You know, one of our goals is to really break down the stigma of what need means and everybody needs a meal. A, like a, a culinary hug sometime in their life. So if you're hearing this and they're like, oh man, you know, I would love a home cooked meal for whatever reason, you know, doesn't have to be financial.

It could be something else going on in your life. Please don't hesitate, uh, lasagna love.org to go and request a meal. And if you wanna see really beautiful pictures of lasagnas and amazing stories from our volunteers who are doing fantastic things all over the country, um, find us on Instagram or Facebook at We Are Lasagna

Love. 

Michelle Dawn Mooney: I love how you said a lasagna hug. Because that it's so perfect. I mean, that's really what it is. I mean, it's so much more than lasagna, obviously, and as you said, it's made with love. So even if you're not a cook, per se, just give it a try, because [00:14:00] it's it's the act of kindness that means so much. And it really is a movement.

Let me ask you this, when you talked about I think is a great point to make. Some people don't feel like they can raise their hand. They're embarrassed to raise their hand. What is an example that you can think of maybe to let our viewers know about people that can benefit from lasagna? And it doesn't have to be where we always think of people in need, because I love how you also said breaking that stigma.

Rhiannon Menn: Well, I can think of quite a few, but, um, the one I haven't actually talked about, um, yet just because I haven't had the opportunity is I actually was a lasagna recipient. 

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Rhiannon Menn: just a couple months ago.

So we flew back. We were visiting my parents. We flew back to, uh, to where we live now in Hawaii. And, um, my one year old on the plane got COVID. He gave it to the entire family. Um, separate from that, my husband ended up with a, uh, an infection and I won't go into the details there, but, um, I was, I was solo parenting three kids.

With COVID myself, they all had, and I was just exhausted. [00:16:00] And, you know, it's like, I was thinking to myself, I was like, this is, this is the time, like, this is when we tell people to ask for help. Why does it feel so uncomfortable for me to do it? You know, I'm the founder of lasagna lab. Like I believe.

Wholeheartedly and I'm having trouble asking for help. And I think that's, you know, it's, it's so ingrained in us to say like, no, no, no, I can do it by myself. I've got this. I'm not, I'm like, I don't need anything. Um, but I did, I, you know, and I didn't even, I could have called the local leader and said, do you have an extra, but I didn't, I like, I went to the website and I put in a request and I waited to get matched and it was one of the most eyeopening and rewarding experiences to have somebody deliver lasagna to my door and to just.

Be like, oh my gosh, like this, I don't have to cook for a night. This is such a relief and the kindness of that person. I remember, you know, uh, a woman who, you know, she's taking care of, taking care of a family member who's sick. Um, we have teachers who have requested because they went back to school and were just feeling totally overwhelmed and needed a break.

Um, [00:17:00] we have people who are, you know, have kids who are going through some kind of an illness. Um, we've parents who are just over, I mean, it really, it doesn't, It doesn't matter what the reason is. The only thing that matters is that you feel that need to raise your hand. If you feel like this would be helpful for you, that's the only qualifier.

You know, that's, that's all we want is we're here to spread that kindness to whoever it is. So whatever, whatever you're walking through, if you need that kindness in your life, more than a meal, right? Like, yes, it's a dinner, but you're requesting kindness from a stranger. And if you need that kindness.

We're all here for you. We didn't have a chance to talk about this, but almost every single one of our recipients tells us that they either want to pay it forward or have already paid it forward, right? So it's not like, you know, I think there's this feeling, and there's a lot of research that's been done on this, but like the feeling of having a generous act, um, done for you inspires you to then want to do that for somebody else.

So, you know, we, we've done a survey and 97 percent of our recipients go on [00:18:00] to commit, commit Acts of kindness, whether it's, you know, I'm trying to think from the last couple of weeks, we had, you know, a woman who told us, you know, her husband had passed away last month and she donated all of his, um, medical equipment to, um, a local hospital.

We had somebody who made a casserole for her sister. Cause she heard her sister was having, you know, a really rough week. We have, um, people who have said, well, the lasagna was too much food for me. So I brought extra to an elderly neighbor down the street who might not get a home cooked meal that often.

So there's just, there's a whole. spectrum of things that are our recipients. You think, Oh, well, you, you, you receive, you need the help. So like, you can't do anything right now. No, everybody turns around and does something for somebody else in their community. So this is this incredible ripple effect. Um, so if you're hesitating, you know, to raise your hand, to ask for kindness, know that yeah, you can receive that meal, but then, you know, when it's right for you.

Go and pay it forward if that, if that, if that's what makes it feel okay for you to ask for the help when you need it. You know, it's, it's just one big, one big network effect. 

Michelle Dawn Mooney: I hope you enjoyed my conversation with [00:19:00] Rhiannon Mann. Once again, if you would like to learn more about this wonderful organization, you can visit lasagnalove.

org. to become a recipient, learn how to volunteer, or donate. You can even support the cause by shopping in their online store, featuring everything from apparel, kitchen items, and bedding, to pickleball rackets, and even wine, to pair with your next lasagna. If you enjoyed this episode, I would love for you to leave a review, and be sure to subscribe to the podcast if you'd like to hear more conversations like the one you heard today.

Thanks again for listening, and remember, one person can make a difference, and that difference maker could be you. We'll see you soon.