13 Good News Stories: Lasagna Love; ‘Turbo’ Dating; VFW's Queens

ACROSS AMERICA — It all started with a pan of lasagna.

Rhiannon Menn was living in San Diego in April when she hit on the idea of cooking for her extended neighborhood family to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. On a Facebook page, she offered home-cooked meals for moms and had a few takers the first week, then more the second.

“Then all of a sudden, people saw the post and said, ‘Hey, I’ve also been looking for something to do,’” Menn, who now lives in Somerville, Massachusetts, told Patch.

Some 300 cooks across America are now connected through her Lasagna Love project and so far have donated more than 2,000 lasagnas — the quintessential comfort food. Some of the recipients lost their jobs to the pandemic and are having trouble feeding their families, but the project responds to emotional needs as well, Menn said.

“Getting a home-cooked meal from someone, they feel comfort, they feel cared for,” Menn said. “That's why it's called Lasagna Love.” By Christopher Huffaker for Somerville Patch

Patch editors across America told similar stories of people looking out for their friends, relatives and complete strangers. Here are 12 more stories we promise will be food for your soul.

Courage And Valor, But No Medal — Yet

Cpl. Waverly Woodson Jr., a medic in the only all-Black U.S. combat unit to storm Normandy’s beaches on June 6, 1944, was critically wounded, yet he treated some 200 soldiers on Omaha Beach, working for 30 hours before he collapsed. He received a Bronze Star and a recommendation for a Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for military valor. But he never received the Medal of Honor because he was Black, says U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who is working with a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers to award him the medal posthumously. By Alessia Grunberger for Germantown Patch

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Drag Queens Save A VFW Post

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 39 was on the verge of closing for good after revenue from liquor sales and hall rentals dried up when it shut down because of the coronavirus. The post, the oldest in Florida and the third-oldest in the world, has another distinction: It’s known as an especially welcome place for minority veterans such as women and members of the LGBTQ community. "What it meant for me was more than just being a pretty face sweating off our makeup," Brad Rice, one of the drag queens who performed at a benefit that replenished the VFW’s coffers, told Patch. "We are talking about supporting a specific community who have given the utmost to ensure our success and survival. It's important for our community to support and embrace them and be a part of a collective and shared experience." By Skyla Luckey for St. Pete Patch

Who’s Saving Whose Life?

When it comes right down to it, Jim Snedeker’s business is saving kids’ lives. The 73-year-old has been a fixture on Pond Hill Road in Wallingford, Connecticut, since 2016, helping kids get across the street safely before and after school. Snedeker, retired and a widower, said he just sat at home doing nothing until the crossing guard gig came along. Who benefits most — the kids or the man who has gained celebrity status as “the next mayor of Wallingford” or simply “The Crossing Guard”? Snedeker says this: “They gave me a life.” By Vincent Salzo for Wallingford Patch

The Cops Did What?

A Newark teenager was visibly upset when he saw the car he had just bought being towed. A police officer saw the 18-year-old’s reaction and called him over. The whole story came out: The teen had just bought the car, but didn’t have the money for registration or to get a title. What happened wasn’t an arrest. But it was arresting: The officer pulled $250 in bills from his pocket to pay to get the teen's car out of storage. Another cop pitched in $123 for the registration and title. By Eric Kiefer for Newark Patch

Fighting For A Fighter

Jess Dunne and Christian Schott named their baby girl Nova Rae Schott — Nova after “supernova,” a powerful and brilliant stellar explosion. Dunne said the name is perfect for the little girl, who was born 12 weeks early and is fiercely fighting for her life. Dunne used social media to share with the North Fork, New York, community the emotional journey of giving birth to a premature baby, and the community answered back with a crowdfunding campaign to help the young family cover unexpected medical expenses. By Lisa Finn for North Fork Patch

'Turbo Relationships' Kick Into High Gear

The coronavirus pandemic has stolen a lot from Americans, but it can’t steal the promise of love. Couples are still getting together — in fact, they’re entering relationships on dating apps at a greater speed because of the pandemic. A new term, “turbo relationships,” has even been coined specifically for dating during coronavirus lockdowns. It refers to relationships that started right before the lockdown or during lockdowns and have progressed “at Mach speed,” says a New York City relationship expert. By Tim Moran for Across America Patch

Fueling The Food Bank

The North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry has been addressing food insecurity for 37 years. After workplaces shuttered and unemployment claims skyrocketed, the food pantry saw a 43 percent increase in the number of people served. Born during a recession and having endured several more, the pantry has more than proved its resiliency in the face of turmoil. Still, like people throughout Los Angeles, leaders quickly discovered the coronavirus posed a new kind of challenge: finding volunteers to meet the need. The community responded. By Kenan Draughorne for North Hollywood Patch

9-Year-Old Raises $1,200 For Sick Kids

Francesca Swartz, a 9-year-old from suburban Chicago, loves to bake and wanted to sell her cookies and lemonade at a neighborhood lemonade stand. She talked with her uncle about it, and he suggested she donate the proceeds to charity. What she cooked and mixed up raised a fair amount for Fire Buddies, a charity that serves kids with cancer, and a local donor provided a triple match to bring the donation to $1,200. By Yasmeen Sheikah for Oak Forest Patch

The Cake The Pandemic Baked

Lisa Rutigliano is not afraid to take risks. But the New Jersey native may not have taken the leap to open her healthy bakery without the rather unanticipated intervention of the coronavirus.
"I had to make an extremely hard decision if I was going to go back to the restaurant or try to create something of my own," Rutigliano told Patch. "I thought about it every day during the early stages of quarantine and had many concerns as far as not having a stable income, relying on an economy during a pandemic, and leaving a restaurant I worked so hard for." By Russ Crespolini for Long Valley Patch

The Pandemic Is The Mother Of Invention

The coronavirus pandemic has challenged Americans to come up with solutions to things they didn’t know would be a problem. Tyler and Brielle Stolberg, 10-year-old twin sisters from Highland Park, Illinois, hit on a solution to a problem that presented itself with the state’s mask mandate. They’ve raised thousands of dollars since July with their beaded mask holders that clip onto a face mask's ear loops. By Jonah Meadows for Highland Park Patch

A Key Solution To A Rough Problem

New Jersey art teacher Julie Chrobak was packing kits for her ceramics students, who are learning remotely until October, when she realized she was missing a key item: something to smooth clay. She knew the hotel-style plastic key cards made excellent tools for the job but had no luck locating them. Finally, she hit the jackpot when a local hotel checked one more thing off her list. By Carl Stoffers for Parsippany Patch

Lifeguards Step Into New Role

When the pandemic hit, lifeguards in Los Angeles left their coastal posts to step into a new role: running the county’s coronavirus testing sites. They were recognized for their sacrifices and courage at the virtual 2020 International Surf Festival. “Though the COVID-19 era may have changed the way the awards are presented this year, the contributions made by these ocean lifeguards aren't any less noteworthy or inspirational," said Rob McGowan, president of the International Surf Festival. "In fact, the lifeguards have risen to these new challenges to expand the meaning of exemplary effort above and beyond the line of duty." By Ashley Ludwig for Redondo Beach Patch

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