HISTORY
The Squirrel Hill Food Pantry was established in 1998 under a three year grant from the Jewish Healthcare Foundation. The food pantry is administered through Jewish Family & Children's Service of Pittsburgh. Initially called the Squirrel Hill Kosher SuperPantry, in 2007 the name was changed to the Squirrel Hill Food Pantry in order to better reflect what the pantry is and whom it serves.
The Squirrel Hill Food Pantry serves over 500 individuals each year. During the 2006 calendar year, the food pantry distributed over 5,000 pounds of food each month to more than 250 households.
MISSION
The mission of the Squirrel Hill Food Pantry begins with serving clients' basic need for food, but goes further: to help them achieve and maintain stability; and for those who can, to reach self-sufficiency. This is done by having a social worker screen each individual and family and connecting them to community and government services and resources.
CLIENT CONFIDENTIALITY
Squirrel Hill Food Pantry services are confidential. Our commitment to helping you is rooted in the Jewish tradition of caring in a way that supports human dignity and respects each individual's capabilities, potential, and right to privacy.
PRIVACY NOTICE
Health care services provided by SHFP parent agency, Jewish Family & Children's Service, including the outpatient psychiatric clinic and the care management program, abide by Federal HIPAA privacy regulations. Click to view the JF&CS Notice of Privacy Practices.
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
Jewish Family & Children's Service is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization. Services offered through JF&CS and all divisions of the agency are provided and referrals are made without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, ancestry, religious creed, disability or age.
FUNDING
The majority of our funding comes from individuals, with additional funding from government grants, foundations (including the Allegheny Bar Foundation - Attorney's Against Hunger Campaign, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, and a Community Development Block Grant - Hunger Trust Fund) and the United Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh.
Our fundraising activities include direct mail appeals, special events, a tribute card program, food basket program (for special occasions) and programs with congregations (e.g., congregational food drives).
We are part of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank network.
OPERATIONS
The Squirrel Hill Food Pantry is staffed by a full-time director and an AmeriCorps member. Volunteers are critical to Food Pantry operations in inspecting, sorting, shelving and packing food for distribution.
Social work, marketing and development support is provided by our parent agency, Jewish Family & Children's Service of Pittsburgh.
