Supportive Services
Our first responsibility is to make sure you have the food you and your family need so you don't go hungry. For those needing emergency financial assistance, our social service and critical needs coordinator will identify applicable community resources and connect you with the help you need to resolve the immediate crisis.
But we know that to help you in the long-term, we need to address the underlying issues of your food insecurity, and we do this through social work support, guidance and resource coordination.
How We Help
- Our goal at the Squirrel Hill Community Food Pantry is to give
those
- who are able the help and tools they need to regain self-sufficiency, and
- who are not able (for example, those who are disabled or the frail elderly), the help they need to ensure they will not go hungry and to maintain stability.
- A social service and critical needs coordinator will work with you to identify the issues (such as unemployment, financial difficulties, health, special needs, depression and more) at the root of the poverty that makes it difficult for you to feed yourself and your family.
- You will be connected to the services and programs you need to address these issues and provide whatever support you need as you work towards achieving stability and long-term self-sufficiency.
- If you are in dire financial distress, our social service and critical needs coordinator will identify applicable community resources. In situations where client needs cannot be met through traditional community resources, limited financial funds are available through the JF&CS SOS Pittsburgh Fund to help pay for various emergencies such as avoiding eviction, transportation to work, medical needs, past-due utility bills, critical home repair or warm clothing. All allocations from this Fund are approved by the SOS Pittsburgh committee.
Meet the People We Help
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A single mother of two school-aged children, Kathy sought services from the SHCFP to help sustain her family as she looked for work in the education field
Download PDF -
Yael and Michael moved to Pittsburgh from Israel to build a new life for themselves and their five children. The family needed a variety of supportive services as they worked to establish themselves in Pittsburgh.
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72 year old Betty never had to ask for help before. She and her husband worked their entire lives and saved up a nice little nest egg to support them in their retirement. The Food Pantry is helping Betty to regain and retain stability after her husband passed away and her savings were diminished by the current economy.
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*Name changed to protect client confidentiality.
