BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
Jewish Family Services
Provides store gift cards for families to buy food – No food pantry
Jewish Community Food Fund – Go to JFS dot ORG
“Founded in 1982, the goal of the Jewish Community Food Fund (JCFF), a program of Jewish Community Services (JCS), is to fight and prevent hunger in the Baltimore Jewish community. The Jewish Community Food Fund provides individuals and families facing economic hardship with grocery store cards for use at local food markets.
For many years, the agency housed an actual pantry, collecting donations of kosher food which were then distributed to needy individuals and families in the Baltimore area. Due to health considerations and space constraints, and to protect the dignity of people receiving assistance, in 2001, the agency decided to no longer collect or directly provide food items and instead request only monetary donations.
JCS uses these funds to purchase the store cards, which are distributed to individuals and families needing assistance. These store cards give families the dignity of choosing the foods that they need and purchasing perishable products such as milk and eggs. In addition to receiving the grocery cards,
JCS staff work with each person, providing services and resources to regain self-sufficiency. This combination of services addresses the basic daily needs of the clients, while treating them with dignity and respect.” (JFS dot ORG)
To learn more, see section titled “Emergency Assistance,” and contact # on this page