SUCCESS OF ANNUAL SQUIRREL HILL FOOD PANTRY APPEAL CRITICAL AS FOOD PANTRY EXPANDS OUTREACH TO UNDERSERVED IN NEED
And this year donations can be accepted on the food pantry website

PITTSBURGH, PA—March 28, 2007— The Squirrel Hill Food Pantry has an even more pronounced need to increase monetary and food donations through its annual appeal campaign. They have instituted an outreach program to reach the many families and individuals in the need who are currently not accessing the resources of the Food Pantry. According to the most recent census, in addition to the approximately 500 clients already depending on the pantry for food assistance, there are still approximately 1,500 residents in the Squirrel Hill area that are eligible for food assistance that are not utilizing the pantry services.

The Squirrel Hill Food Pantry currently provides supplemental food and supportive services to qualifying individuals, without regard to race, sex, national origin, ancestry, religious creed, disability or age in the 15217 zip code area, and others who qualify for food assistance but reside outside the area who have a need for kosher food.

To help sustain and increase the ability to reach out those in need of food assistance in the community, the food pantry is launching its annual appeal campaign. Every monetary donation received before April 30, 2007 helps the pantry secure a larger percentage of the one $1 million Alan Shawn Feinstein Challenge giveaway, which exists to help national hunger causes. And this year the

Feinstein Challenge is accepting food donations as well to count towards the matching grant challenge.

"We are very excited to have the opportunity to count food donations towards this year's Feinstein Challenge. So many synagogues and community organizations hold Passover food drives," said Becky Abrams, Squirrel Hill Food Pantry director, "and we will be able to count $1 for every one pound of food to help increase our final dollar total towards the challenge grant.

She adds, "Throughout the year, the Food Pantry welcomes monetary donations, as well as kosher food donations from individuals and groups. The need continues to grow and we couldn't do our vital work without the support of the community"

To date Kollel Jewish Learning Center has donated 1,743 pounds of food. Other groups who have initiated food drives include Tree of Life Synagogue, Rodef Shalom Synagogue, Chabad of South Hills and a bat mitzvah student at Community Day.

Another new addition to this year's food pantry campaign is the ability to make online donations at www.sqfoodpantry.org. The Food Pantry encourages donors, community organizations and others to visit the website or contact the pantry at 412-421-2708 to find out how to donate both food and money. People can also download the shopping list of much-needed items and the kosher symbols to look for from the food pantry website.


For more information regarding this release, please contact 
Laurie Gottlieb 
412-586-3738 (office)
412-523-3891 (mobile)
lgottlieb@jfcspgh.org 

ABOUT SQUIRREL HILL FOOD PANTRY

The Squirrel Hill Food Pantry was established in 1998, as the Squirrel Hill Kosher SuperPantry, after the Jewish Healthcare Foundation identified the existence of hunger among many Jewish families in Pittsburgh and the lack of a facility that met the needs of those who kept kosher. Administered by Jewish Family & Children's Service, the Squirrel Hill Food Pantry is a member agency of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and serves all those in the 15217 zip code area who qualify for food assistance, as well as those outside the 15217 zip code area who qualify for food assistance and require kosher food. Services are provided without regard to race, sex, national origin, ancestry, religious creed, disability or age