Story and Photography Provided by Meredith Levy
The Jewish Fertility Foundation’s Pittsburgh location, known as “JFF-PGH”, is gearing up for a busy few months!
The Jewish Fertility Foundation (JFF) is a non-profit organization that provides free emotional support and educational programming for anyone in the Pittsburgh area, regardless of religion, race, gender identity, etc. JFF also provides financial assistance to eligible applicants in the form of grants to help pay for costly fertility treatments often not covered by insurance.
Among the plethora of programming in the works are both the regularly scheduled monthly support groups, which are run by a local, licensed therapist, take place on zoom, and are free to attend, and special in person events like a ‘wellness’ event. In addition to emotional support for people currently experiencing infertility, JFF-PGH and its dedicated manager, Meredith Levy, will also be holding a clergy training this spring, to help local rabbis better understand what their congregants might be facing and how best to support them and be sensitive to their needs (as well as what not to do or say).
Levy spends much of her time planning, coordinating, and executing events such as these, but also has the pleasure of working directly with clients struggling to build their families. For example, if someone requests a ‘fertility buddy’, Meredith works to match that person with a trained volunteer, who is a veteran of infertility, who may have had a similar diagnosis or fertility journey, and who can serve as a supportive listening ear.
JFF-PGH and Meredith Levy also look forward to developing new partnerships in the Pittsburgh area with other agencies and fertility clinics. Meredith maintains contact with fertility specialists to continue to provide support that current and future clients need. Levy will continue to work tirelessly to help facilitate the fulfillment of the Jewish Fertility Foundation’s mission: to engage hopeful parents by providing financial assistance, emotional support, and infertility education to those struggling to build their families. For more information about JFF-PGH, check out our website, https://jewishfertilityfoundation.org/, or email Meredith at meredith@jewishfertilityfoundation.org.
JFF-PGH is a proud benefactor of Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh and Jewish Womens Foundation of Pittsburgh.