This Shabbat (Feb. 2), in parashat Mishpatim,\nthe Torah commands, \u201cIf you lend money to my people … do not act toward them\nas a creditor; you may not charge them interest.\u201d This law, along with\nMaimonides\u2019 teaching that the greatest level of tzedakah is to support a fellow\nJew by endowing them with a gift or loan to strengthen their hand, are the\nguiding principles of the Hebrew Free Loan Association of Vancouver (HFLA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HFLA provides interest-free loans to help\nJewish individuals from British Columbia overcome financial challenges and\nbuild better lives. HFLA fosters economic stability and opportunity among low-\nand moderate-income members of the community by providing access to affordable\ncredit in the form of a no-interest loan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the years, the types of loans the\norganization has given out have evolved greatly. In the 1980s and \u201990s, with a\nwave of immigrants from the former Soviet Union, the majority of HFLA\u2019s loans\nwent to helping immigrants finance vocational training. While HFLA still helps\nmany new immigrants, its focus now also includes helping people with the rising\ncosts of living in the Lower Mainland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWith the bulk of people\u2019s income going towards\nhousing costs, many people have very little left over when unexpected bills\narise,\u201d said Joanna Wasel, executive director of HFLA. \u201cWe are able to be there\nfor people during times of financial stress. A loan from us can help cover\nthings like emergency dental work, physical therapy and short-term home care.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HFLA is also here to help members of the\ncommunity when they need support to start a Jewish family through fertility\ntreatments or adoption, host a bar or bat mitzvah, finance university or start\na new business. The goal of these loan programs is to help community members\nbuild better lives and avoid falling into high-interest debt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HFLA recently unveiled a new webpage, hfla.ca<\/a>. The new site is clear, concise and includes\na step-by-step guide to applying for an HFLA loan. Potential borrowers can\ncomplete and submit an application online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe really want to make the process as easy as\npossible for our borrowers. Every step has been designed with great care to\nensure that people\u2019s dignity and confidentiality are respected and protected,\u201d\nsaid Wasel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the past 40 years, HFLA Vancouver has made more than 1,900 loans. There is no other organization like it in the community and those in need, or with friends in need, are encouraged to seek more information about HFLA\u2019s services by visiting its website<\/a> or calling 604-428-2832. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This Shabbat (Feb. 2), in parashat Mishpatim, the Torah commands, \u201cIf you lend money to my people … do not act toward them as a creditor; you may not charge them interest.\u201d This law, along with Maimonides\u2019 teaching that the greatest level of tzedakah is to support a fellow Jew by endowing them with a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[3051,3052,6433,4599,1959],"class_list":["post-31784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-local","tag-hebrew-free-loan-association","tag-hfla","tag-jewish-life","tag-loans","tag-tikkun-olam"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31784"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31784\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}