16 Comments
User's avatar
Rochelle's avatar

Your newsletter makes all our tables bigger! Thank you. Recently we have made donations of money to our local food pantry to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. All the receipts were very grateful. Win! Win!

Clay Walsh (she/her)'s avatar

Love this newsletter today. This week I donated to my neighborhood kitchen here in Portland (Milk Crate) and my company matched my gift. It is a great reminder to take advantage of company matching programs to make the money go further. I am going to start volunteering there in the kitchen this Friday. I appreciate your tip to make that donation recurring- I’ll do that as well!

Julia Turshen's avatar

love this clay! so great your company was able to match.

Pam's avatar

So much very helpful information here. The food banks and other programs also need baby food, formula, diapers. Everything helps!

Kathy's avatar
Nov 4Edited

I volunteer with a (now) international group called Lasagna Love. Neighbors who like to cook sign up to be matched with a neighbor who has requested a meal. We always have to offer to make a lasagna, but we’re also allowed to offer something else, as long as lasagna is always an option for the recipient. You decide how many families you’re willing to help, and the frequency, and the distance you’re willing to drive to deliver. You cover the costs of all materials and ingredients, and the Lasagna Love organization takes care of providing food safety training videos, and coordinates all the matching of requesters with volunteer chefs. I’ve been doing it for over a year and have increased my frequency and number of families as the economy has worsened. It’s a terrific organization! I’m going to list their main website but there are links off that site for volunteers to sign up and for families in need to request. They have seen a huge uptick in requests but I don’t think there has been a corresponding increase in volunteer chefs, so hopefully this can help with additional exposure!

www.lasagnalove.org

PS: I have also incorporated some of Julia’s tips on lasagna into my weekly meals, especially stirring crème fraiche into my sauce—it’s divine!

Michelle's avatar

This is awesome! I've never heard of Lasagna Love but I just signed up in Ontario. Thank you for sharing Kathy.

My husband and I volunteer with Meals on Wheels weekly - they are also always in need for help as well, as a driver or server.

Thank you as always Julia for this space, inspiration and advocacy.

Julia Turshen's avatar

so glad you signed up! and thanks to you and your husband for the work you're already doing <3

Julia Turshen's avatar

thank you for this kathy — wonderful!!!

Elliya's avatar

thank you as always for reminding us that advocacy and mutual aid doesn’t have to be all or nothing, or only one right way. Small and sustainable ways to continue supporting your community year round are necessary. And for the reminder that taking action on food security doesn’t stop when you finish washing the dishes ;)

Julia Turshen's avatar

absolutely!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kim Baldwin's avatar

This is amazing. Thanks, Julia.

Whitney Lingle's avatar

I love this post! Thanks for all you're doing! I run a local food justice organization in Philadelphia called Greener Partners. May I share excerpts of your newsletter in our email blast?

Julia Turshen's avatar

Yes for sure!

Nancy Berman's avatar

Hi Julia !

Where can I get the receipe for the corn cheddar soup ? I love you receipes especially the Gluten Free ones . I make these for my daughter. Thank you