To combat food insecurity locally, Greenfield resident Trouble Mandeson is taking a layered approach.
Mandeson, whose resumé includes helping the Stone Soup Café, Franklin County Community Meals Program and Just Roots farm, has taken particular pride in what comes from her home’s kitchen. For the past two years, she has been a key participant in “Lasagna Love,” a charity program started by Massachusetts native Rhiannon Menn that “connects neighbors for home-cooked meal delivery” as “an international movement of kindness,” according to LasagnaLove.org.
“I loved the idea,” Mandeson said of discovering the program on social media. “I looked it up immediately and I knew it was something I wanted to do.”
Lasagna Love volunteers work at their own pace to prepare lasagna for community members in need of a hot meal. At peak productivity, Mandeson says she cooks one lasagna per week. Once the food is prepared, Mandeson is linked with a hungry individual online and given an address. She then drives to the residence and drops off the meal, “no questions asked, no strings attached.” She added that she has yet to find somebody else in her immediate area who volunteers for the program.
Mandeson said her culinary love began as a child, cooking with her mother. Her passion blossomed further when she moved to Greenfield in 2005, taking on a residence with “the best kitchen “she’s ever had.” Nowadays, she is consistently “feeling inspired to cook” by Just Roots farm, where she works as an office manager, and by her wife, who cooks by her side.
“Just over the years, we push each other to explore and try new things and cook new foods,” Mandeson said.
Mandeson noted that she enjoys challenging herself with new ways to prepare lasagna. She never shies away from trying a new recipe, especially if it means the product is more considerate of the recipient’s needs. Her past successes include cooking delectable lasagnas that were both vegan and gluten free.
Regardless of what recipe she uses, Mandeson goes all-out. She makes sure each lasagna she prepares is “pretty generous” in size.
“Even if it’s just two to four people, I don’t want to just give them a meal,” she said. “I want to give them leftovers.”
Going above and beyond, Mandeson said, also serves as a call for other chefs “to step up.” While generosity may abound during the holidays, “there’s always a need for giving” that is more than just seasonal, she argued.
“I always believe that we should be helping our neighbors 365 days per year,” Mandeson said.
After all, giving is a gift in itself, if you ask her.
“I’m also a hospice volunteer and its kind of the same thing,” Mandeson said of what she gains from her service. “I don’t expect anything in return. It’s about the experience.”
Those interested in joining Mandeson at Lasagna Love can find information regarding how to volunteer at lasagnalove.org/volunteer.
Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-930-4231 or jmendoza@recorder.com.