Grant Awards Since JRF was founded in 2013, we have awarded over $32 million in grants to 160+ community organizations. New Grants Awarded: Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Updated March 2026 Strengthening Food Security 412 Food Rescue $50,000 Increase access to healthy food and promote sustainability in the Jefferson area by recovering food and delivering it to nonprofit community partners. Healthy Habits Initiative: Food as Medicine Allegheny Health Network/Jefferson Hospital $100,000 Improve the health outcomes of food-insecure patients from West Mifflin, Homestead, and Clairton at Jefferson Hospital by increasing access to nutritious food, providing education and support, facilitating connections to community resources, and leveraging services from AHN’s Center for Inclusion Health through the Healthy Food Center at Jefferson Hospital and AHN’s Institute for Strategic Social and Workforce Programs for community health screenings. Home Fire Campaign American National Red Cross $25,000 Increase health, well-being, and home safety by providing free smoke alarm installations, fire escape planning, youth preparedness education, and immediate financial assistance for individuals/families rebuilding after a home fire. Mental Health Education and Therapy in Spanish Ayúdate $20,000 Provide therapy in Spanish alongside community outreach and education events that address the pervasive stigma and cultural barriers surrounding mental health care in Hispanic communities. Championing Social/Emotional Youth Development and Empowering Families Beverly’s PGH $50,000/year totaling $100,000 Provide support and opportunity to Jefferson women and parents/caregivers experiencing financial hardship during pregnancy and through the early years of a child’s life by offering tangible supplies such as food, clothing, and equipment and offering linkages to other community partners via referrals. Supplies are offered through birthday parties, community baby showers, a mobile truck, and the Greater Pittsburgh Infant Formula Bank. Building Civic Engagement Power for Black Women Black Women’s Policy Center, Inc. $100,000/year totaling $200,000 Improve the health and wellness of Black women living in McKeesport, Duquesne, Clairton, West Mifflin, and Homestead, and share their lived experience by offering support and coaching through system navigation, connection to resources, advocacy on shaping public policy, and training and education. Building Capacity for a Community Asset Carnegie of Homestead $40,000 Support access to library services and the use of an athletic club and historic music hall for residents in the footprint through the development and beginning implementation of a strategic plan centering on community voice. Rapid Response Funding to Support Jefferson Families Footbridge for Families, Inc $140,000 Assist 66-75 Jefferson residents/families during times of short-term financial crisis and provide connections to additional supports through an innovative technology platform that facilitates rapid financial response to vendors. Building Agency Capacity Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank $245,000 for two years($145,000 Year 1;$100,000 Year 2) Strengthen the capacity of 40 Jefferson area food assistance programs, which are partner agencies of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, to improve the health and well-being of residents through access to capacity grants for new equipment, lines of credit for food, and enhanced referral capacity. Food 4 Kids Hamilton Presbyterian Church USA $25,000 Increase health and well-being by supporting ongoing efforts to supply weekend food bags to elementary students who are eligible for free and reduced lunch in the Baldwin-Whitehall school district. Workforce and Life Skills Development Homeless Children’s Education Fund $50,000 Provide youth experiencing homelessness with equitable educational support through out-of-school time activities and intensive workforce and life skills development. Strengthening Community Services Jewish Family and Community Services $100,000 Provide youth services, career services, immigration legal services, immigrant and refugee case management, and food assistance including kosher and halal items to increase the health and well-being for more than 1,200 families and individuals living in Jefferson communities. Achieving Together for Long-Term Economic Opportunity Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania, Inc. $25,000 Prepare 4,300 students attending Bethel Park, Duquesne, West Mifflin, and Steel Valley school districts and students attending Elizabeth Forward Middle School for life-sustaining employment opportunities by providing hands-on career exploration and financial literacy programs. Empowering Voters through Community Engagement League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh $15,000 Amplify the voices of residents in the footprint by partnering with nonprofits, libraries, and school districts to provide education on civic engagement practices and register new voters to highlight community needs, which often include the social determinants of health. Providing Access to Healthy Food and Financial Wellness Life Builders $55,000 Assist families with access to healthy food, offer financial wellness classes to individuals/families in South Park and surrounding communities, and build organizational capacity. Community Outreach and Engagement LifeSpan, Inc. $75,000 Increase the health and well-being of older adults by extending the reach of senior centers in Clairton, McKeesport, and Bethel Park to community spaces and hosting 20 lunch and learn events. Supporting Families Experiencing Hardship Macedonia Family & Community Enrichment Center $75,000 Increase health and well-being of residents living in the Jefferson footprint by providing operating support to address the needs of families experiencing temporary hardship primarily with housing, utilities, and food. Early Learning and Youth Development Maple Unified Student Academy, Inc. $80,000 Provide consistent, high-quality, low-cost preschool and out-of-school time programming for over 100 youth and their families in Munhall, Homestead, and West Homestead and expand capacity for organizational growth. Youth and Family Support Melting Pot Ministries $150,000/year totaling $300,000 Support positive development for youth and their caregivers in South Park, Whitehall, and Bethel Park by providing out-of-school time programming (afterschool and summer) focused on educational, social-emotional, and cultural life challenges. Increasing Access to Unemployment Compensation Benefits Mon Valley Unemployed Committee $80,000 Assist unemployed individuals and families in accessing their unemployment compensation benefits to avoid financial downfalls that impact health and well-being including foreclosure, eviction, vehicle repossession, and food insecurity. Health and Well-Being for Older Adults Prime Time Adult Care $40,000 Increase access to services for older adults with less income at an adult day service facility in Bethel Park. The grant will help build organizational capacity in human resources and community engagement and strategic marketing. Civic Engagement, Storytelling, and Journalism Pittsburgh’s Public Source $40,000/year totaling $80,000 Increase Jefferson organizations and residents understanding of civic engagement by providing resources and six educational workshops on community engagement/storytelling taught by experienced journalists and draw attention to the Jefferson area by highlighting 16 stories which may include first-person essays. Through the work of Public Source, community voice is being elevated which increases community health. Cultivating Youth Well-Being through Theater Saltworks Theatre Company $15,000 Increase awareness and knowledge about the truths and consequences of unhealthy decisions related to prescription drugs, e-cigarettes, and the overuse of social media for hundreds of Jefferson area middle and high school students and teachers through live theater productions. Out-of-School Time Youth Programming The Dragon’s Den $120,000/year totaling $240,000 Build self-confidence, trust, and sociability of Jefferson school-age youth and develop deeper community engagement in Homestead by offering after-school programs and summer camps using the challenge course and zip line in the historic St. Mary Magdalene church. Addressing Violence and Creating Legacy The New Sun Rising $10,000 Increase health and well-being for mothers in the Jefferson footprint who have lost a loved one to a violent death via support groups, peer support, legacy projects, and advocating for a future without violence. Capacity Building /Business & Community Development Unity Group of Clairton $20,000 Provide capacity building support to a community-led nonprofit that coalesces partnerships between elected officials, churches, community leaders and nonprofits in Clairton to increase health and well-being of residents. Supporting Veteran Health Through Storytelling and Connection Veterans Breakfast Club $60,000 Support local veterans and their mental and emotional well-being by facilitating local, in-person storytelling events in the Jefferson area and supporting broad outreach efforts including a veteran focused magazine, newsletter, podcast, and online programs. Access to Diaper and Hygiene Supplies Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank $80,000 Improve the health and well-being of Jefferson families by expanding access to free diapers and other essentials through Jefferson partner organizations. The Hope Squad West Jefferson Hills School District $5,000 Improve the long-term overall health and well-being of students at Thomas Jefferson High School by launching a nationally recognized, evidence-based, peer-driven suicide prevention initiative focused on mental wellness. STEM and Wellness for Youth Development Will Allen Foundation $50,000 Increase youth interest and potential future economic mobility in Science, Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) careers by delivering a free afterschool and summer program in partnership with Clairton City School District to engage a minimum of 70 students in high-impact learning experiences. Respite, Health, and Well-Being for Black Womxn Young Women’s Christian Association Greater Pittsburgh $25,000/year totaling $50,000 Strengthen the economic and social well-being of two single Black women with children residing in the Jefferson footprint. This trust-based financial and wellness support program is part of a data informed poverty intervention. Mini-Grants Awarded: Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Due to increased demand for food, a total of 13 mini-grants were awarded to community organizations addressing food insecurity, providing $65,000 in support ($5,000 per grant). Updated December 2025 Addressing Food Insecurity Baldwin-Whitehall Educational Foundation $5,000 Provide food to residents experiencing food insecurity living in the Jefferson area as the state and federal government begin to distribute public assistance dollars. Addressing Food Insecurity Beverly’s PGH $5,000 Provide food to residents experiencing food insecurity living in the Jefferson area as the state and federal government begin to distribute public assistance dollars. Addressing Food Insecurity Central Highlands Community United Methodist Church $5,000 Provide food to residents experiencing food insecurity living in the Jefferson area as the state and federal government begin to distribute public assistance dollars. Addressing Food Insecurity Cloverleaf Area Ecumenical Assistance Program $5,000 Provide food to residents experiencing food insecurity living in the Jefferson area as the state and federal government begin to distribute public assistance dollars. Addressing Food Insecurity Divine Restoration Outreach Ministries $5,000 Provide food to residents experiencing food insecurity living in the Jefferson area as the state and federal government begin to distribute public assistance dollars. Addressing Food Insecurity Heritage Community Initiatives $5,000 Provide food to residents experiencing food insecurity living in the Jefferson area as the state and federal government begin to distribute public assistance dollars. Addressing Food Insecurity Life Builders $5,000 Provide food to residents experiencing food insecurity living in the Jefferson area as the state and federal government begin to distribute public assistance dollars. Addressing Food Insecurity MISSION: AGAPE $5,000 Provide food to residents experiencing food insecurity living in the Jefferson area as the state and federal government begin to distribute public assistance dollars. Addressing Food Insecurity Neighborhood Resilience Project $5,000 Provide food to residents experiencing food insecurity living in the Jefferson area as the state and federal government begin to distribute public assistance dollars. Addressing Food Insecurity New Hope Assembly Of God $5,000 Provide food to residents experiencing food insecurity living in the Jefferson area as the state and federal government begin to distribute public assistance dollars. Addressing Food Insecurity Rainbow Kitchen Community Services $5,000 Provide food to residents experiencing food insecurity living in the Jefferson area as the state and federal government begin to distribute public assistance dollars. Addressing Food Insecurity South Hills Interfaith Ministries $5,000 Provide food to residents experiencing food insecurity living in the Jefferson area as the state and federal government begin to distribute public assistance dollars. Addressing Food Insecurity St. Paul AME Church of McKeesport $5,000 Provide food to residents experiencing food insecurity living in the Jefferson area as the state and federal government begin to distribute public assistance dollars. Past Grant Awards Grants awarded in 2024-2025 (PDF) Grants awarded in 2023-2024 (PDF) Grants awarded in 2022-2023, includes Community Voice Fund grants (PDF)
