In the summer of 2021, Dennis DiPlacito was watching TV when he saw a segment about Lasagna Love, a grassroots movement sweeping the nation in which volunteers cooked lasagna for neighbors experiencing challenges during the coronavirus pandemic.
He immediately felt compelled to join, he said, as he’d previously cooked meals for his elderly parents in Northern California – and grew up in an Italian family that made lasagna from scratch.
Nearly three years later, Lasagna Love has provided more than 430,000 meals to upwards of 1.8 million people in three countries, and DiPlacito has delivered 75 lasagnas of his own to residents across Orange County.
DiPlacito, 71, said the experience has been life-changing, has introduced him to Orange County residents of all walks of life, and has allowed him to help others – one 9-by-13-inch pan of pasta at a time.
“These are families that have lost jobs, have people in the hospital, or are trying to work from home while their kids are doing online schooling,” he said. “If I can lessen that for an hour so that they can sit and eat a meal together without the stress of having to prepare it, it’s very emotionally rewarding for me.”
The Irvine resident is among 48 active Lasagna Love volunteers in Orange County, said Brooke Hill, a local leader for the organization. Overall, 335 chefs have contributed to the Orange County efforts since the group’s inception, she said.
The organization expects to celebrate its 1,500th delivery in Orange County this month, Hill said, noting that at least one chef has personally delivered more than 100 lasagnas.
Lasagna Love began when San Diego mom Rhiannon Menn and her daughter started making and delivering meals to neighboring families experiencing job losses and other difficulties during the pandemic.
Their efforts caught on, and Lasagna Love was soon born with the mission of feeding families, spreading kindness and strengthening communities. Through its work, the group…
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