Love through Lasagna!

Here we go, July! I hope you’ve all been finding ways to stay cool these past few weeks and are ready to enjoy the rest of the summer, especially with kids riding fare-free on VRE starting this month! It’s always exciting to share these service enhancements with our riders. So, what else has VRE (literally) been cooking? Well...lasagna!

Last month, VRE partnered with Lasagna Love, a global nonprofit that “aims to positively impact communities by connecting neighbors with neighbors through homemade meal delivery.” They have a simple, yet incredibly impactful mission: feed families, spread kindness, and strengthen communities. While many things came from the COVID-19 pandemic, Lasagna Love is a wonderful testament to silver linings and the love that comes from a shared community. It all started with one mom who wanted to help families in her neighborhood that were struggling, which at the beginning of COVID-19, who wasn’t? Whether grappling with financial difficulties, mental health issues, or just that familiar overwhelming feeling – Lasagna Love was founded to spread kindness without judgment in a time of uncertainty, stress, and loneliness. Since 2020, they have been dedicated to this mission, and this June, VRE wanted to spread that kindness alongside them as part of our VRE Cares initiative.

With Lasagna Love, VRE staff members were able to feed four families in need throughout the D.C. region by providing a home-cooked meal. With Union Station & L’Enfant Plaza being among our most prominent stops and one of Lasagna Love’s highest demanding areas for support, it was important for us to support our community in any way we could. We are proud to have become a part of the 56,000 volunteers extending not just a hand but an entire pan of kindness to families struggling after the loss of a loved one, medical issues, and adjusting to a recent move.

For me, this experience was a chance to come together with my family and cook with love and purpose. If any of this resonates with you, I encourage you to consider cooking a pan for Lasagna Love or spreading the word. You can learn more at Lasagna Love. I hope that just like June, July is full of abundance and kindness for all our VRE riders! Catch you in the next one.