Welcome to JFunds
A NETWORK OF JEWISH FINANCIAL SUPPORT SERVICEs
Ensuring that every Jewish person knows about the financial resources available for the Jewish community
Experiencing mounting expenses? You are not the only one.
Click the links below for additional information:
About JFunds
JFunds is a collaboration of five organizations/programs that offer financial assistance in the Pittsburgh Jewish community. Community members can access muiltiple resources at once as needed.
Hebrew Free Loan
LOANS – Interest-free loans up to $10,000 for residents of Allegheny and surrounding counties who have an income that is less than twice the area median income are eligible.
☎️ 412-212-8682 questions about applying for a loan
☎️ 412-212-6822 for all other requests
Jewish Assistance Fund
GRANTS with no repayment to help the Western PA Jewish Community with pressing expenses.
☎️ 412-521-3237
JFCS Squirrel Hill Food Pantry
CRITICAL SUPPORT SERVICES for acute needs such as housing, utilities, furniture, transportation, medical/dental and tuition.
☎️ 412-742-4215
https://www.jfcspgh.org/services/squirrel-hill-food-pantry/clients/
Jewish Scholarship Service
GRANTS with no repayment for accredited, degree-granting post high school programs.
☎️ 412-586-3732
Israel Travel Grants
GRANTS as well as need-based funding for Israel travel for teens and young adults up to and including age 27. For full eligibility requirements see our web page.
Financial Coaching
Meet JFunds Financial Coach, Shay Port, and learn more:
Are you ready to get a better handle on your finances? Do you have financial goals you’re ready to achieve? JFunds offers the Pittsburgh area Jewish Community FREE one-on-one financial coaching customized to YOUR goals and desires. Some areas you can focus on include:
- Debt management
- Credit score improvement
- Budgeting/spending plans
- Student loan payment plan assistance (loan consolidation & income-driven repayment plans)
- Home purchasing guidance
- Savings/investing plans
- Credit card use best practices
- Applying for public assistance programs
- General financial education
Sessions are 50 minutes and currently occur via phone or Zoom.
About JFunds’s Financial Coach
Shay Port is a CPA, Financial Coach, Counselor and Educator. After receiving her CPA, Shay worked as a corporate accountant for over 10 years. After seeing so many of those around her struggling with their personal finances, Shay began to envision a life dedicated to assisting all those who were seeking relief. In 2010, Shay founded her company, Financial Wellness with Shay Port.
Over the past decade, through the magic of video conferencing, Shay has coached hundreds of participants in every part of the country to overcome financial habits that don’t serve. Shay and her clients work together on creating holistic, comprehensive and easy-to-follow personal financial plans in order to achieve their financial goals.
Shay offers many diverse services, but she specializes in coaching people who are in significant debt, to not only get out of debt permanently, but to form new financial habits and develop a positive and empowered relationship with money going forward.
Shay’s other non-profit engagements have included 4 years as the financial coach at one of the first Financial Opportunity Centers in Pittsburgh, the creator and leader of the financial wellness program for the Pittsburgh chapter of Platform to Employment, a national employment reintegration program, and as a certified Financial Counselor/Coach trainer through the Cities for Financial Empowerment. Shay also wrote and led several different “train the trainer” seminars for the CFE.
Like everyone, Shay has experienced her own financial challenges. This is how she knows, firsthand, how empowering and life-altering it can be to finally get the help and direction you need in order to live a life of security, abundance and ultimately financial freedom.
Testimonials
Even though we both work, between our student loans, daycare costs, and other expenses, it is such a relief to get this loan to replace our roof without using credit cards!
My gas has been shut off, my water is due to be shut off soon. I’m behind on everything… This grant helped me so much! Thank you so much to the Jewish Assistance Fund!
My daughter left an abusive marriage, and she and her kids moved in with me. We’ve had a hard time making ends meet at the end of the month. The JFCS Squirrel Hill Food Pantry made it so I can feed my family and pay my bills.
Three of our kids were in college at the same time. They were each awarded scholarships that made it possible for them to focus on school without worrying about how to pay their next tuition bill. Thank you JSS!
Sending our daughter to Israel on this program is such a great opportunity. Because of the Jewish Federation Israel Scholarship Program and Passport to Israel, we were able to afford it! Thank you so much!