Kenmore residents are volunteering with Lasagna Love, preparing and delivering home-cooked lasagne each week to families in need without requiring proof of hardship.
Local Families Helping Others
Rebekah and her 11-year-old son Tex Treloar from Kenmore have been preparing one lasagne every week for the past four months. They deliver the meals personally, supporting families experiencing challenges such as job loss or illness.
The pair began volunteering when Tex needed a placement for the Rotary Junior Community Awards program. His interest in cooking led them to join Lasagna Love, covering the cost of each meal themselves.
Lasagna Love Movement
Lasagna Love began in 2020 in San Diego, United States, during the COVID-19 pandemic and quickly expanded worldwide. It was introduced to Australia in 2021 and now operates nationally with a strong volunteer base in Queensland.
The organisation reports that more than 530,000 lasagnes have been delivered globally, reaching 2.3 million people across four countries through the work of over 80,000 volunteers.
In July 2025 alone, Lasagna Love volunteers across Australia provided meals to more than 1000 people as part of an awareness and recruitment drive.
Breaking Barriers to Asking for Help
The program emphasises dignity and accessibility, allowing people to request meals online without being asked to prove their circumstances. Recipients range from families facing financial stress to parents of newborns, people recovering from surgery, and those in emergency accommodation.
Lasagna Love also promotes contactless delivery, first adopted during COVID-19, to reduce the stigma sometimes associated with seeking help.
Broader Context in Queensland
The 2024 Foodbank Hunger Report found that nearly 700,000 households in Queensland had experienced food insecurity in the previous year, struggling with the quality, variety, or availability of meals.
Alongside this, Volunteering Queensland reported that almost two-thirds of Queenslanders engaged in some form of volunteering in 2023, averaging more than 21 hours a month.
Psychological Benefits and Community Connection
University of Queensland psychologist James Kirby noted that preparing and giving meals can improve wellbeing for volunteers while providing meaningful support for recipients.
The Treloar family in Kenmore said they plan to continue cooking for Lasagna Love beyond Tex’s school volunteering requirement, highlighting the program’s role in building lasting community ties.
Outlook
With demand expected to grow, Lasagna Love is continuing to expand its volunteer network across Queensland and beyond. The mission remains consistent: feed families, spread kindness, and strengthen communities — one lasagne at a time.
Published 27-Aug-2025
