PENNSYLVANIA — Governor Tom Wolf this week announced just over $3.9 million in funding to support security enhancement projects for 93 churches, synagogues, and other nonprofit organizations serving diverse communities and frequently targeted by hate crimes throughout the Commonwealth.
“While it’s a shame this has been necessary, I’m proud to have secured nearly $20 million over the past three years to protect Pennsylvania’s diverse and vulnerable communities from hate-driven violence,” said Gov. Wolf. “I look forward to the day when the goodness of humanity prevails.”
Governor Wolf signed House Bill 859 to create the Nonprofit Security Grant Program in November 2019, one year after the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Synagogue shooting that claimed the lives of 11 worshippers. Since then, the governor has secured nearly $20 million in the program and hundreds of projects across the state.
Administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), the program supports grants to nonprofit organizations who principally serve individuals, groups or institutions that are included within a bias motivation category for single bias hate crime incidents as identified by the FBI’s Hate Crime Statistics publication, such as race/ethnicity/ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender, and gender identity.
Applicants were eligible to apply for grant awards ranging from $5,000 to $150,000 for security enhancements designed to protect the safety and security of their membership. Funding can be used for safety and security planning, safety and security equipment and technology, training, building upgrades, vulnerability and threat assessments, and other security enhancements.
Below are the approved projects:
Allegheny County
- Adat Shalom B’nai israel/Beth Jacob Inc, $25,000
- Ahavath Achim Congregation, $20,000
- Chabad House on Campus, Inc., $25,000
- Chabad of Squirrel Hill, $150,000
- Christ Temple Church of Pittsburgh, $10,000
- Community Day School, $25,000
- Eden Christian Academy, $9,476
- Family Guidance, $25,000
- Jewish Family and Community Services, $24,683
- Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, $67,820
- Pittsburgh Hispanic Development Corporation, $10,000
- St. Philip’s Church, $25,000
- Temple Emanuel of South Hills, $42,481
- The Friendship Circle of Pittsburgh, Inc, $150,000
- The Jewish Spark, $75,000
- Tzohar Arts, $25,000
- Universal Education Foundation, $25,000
- Yeshivath Achei Tmimim of Pittsburgh, $25,000
Beaver County
- Franklin Center of Beaver County, Inc, $25,000
- St. John the Evangelist Antiochian Orthodox Church, $25,000
Berks County
- Abilities in Motion, $20,000
- Chabad Lubavitch of Berks County, Inc., $150,000
- National Centre for Padre Pio, Inc., $22,090
Bucks County
- Mid-States Habonim Camping Association, Inc., $24,000
- United American Muslim Association, $70,250
- Zubaida Foundation, $75,000
Butler County
- Congregation B’nai Abraham, $25,000
- Bethel AME Church, $25,000
- Chimes Holcomb Behavioral Health Systems, $23,500
- Cornerstone Christian Fellowship, $25,000
- Episcopal Church of the Trinity, $25,000
- Islamic Society of Chester County, $13,700
- St. Paul’s Baptist Church West Chester, $25,000
Clearfield County
- Sons of Israel Congregation, $25,000
Cumberland County
- Al-Huda INC, $74,500
Dauphin County
- Chevery Bnie Jacob, $24,000
- Kesher Israel Congregation, $25,000
- Planned Parenthood Keystone, $25,000
- Redeemed Christian Church of God Living Spring International Center Harrisburg, $25,000
- Judith Creed Horizons for Achieving Independence, $75,000
Erie County
- Islamic Cultural Center of Erie, $15,000
- Multicultural Community Resource Center, $42,500
- Our Mother of Sorrows Roman Catholic Parish, $24,250
Lackawanna County
- Scranton Hebrew Day School, $25,000
- Temple Israel of Scranton, $25,000
- Bright Side Opportunities Corporation, $50,000
- Church World Service (CWS) Lancaster, $97,000
- Islamic Community Center of Lancaster, $21,950
- Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition, $25,000
- Lancaster Pride, $6,296
- Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Lancaster, $10,000
Lehigh County
- Hindu Temple Society, $75,000
- Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley, $10,000
- Korean Church of the Lehigh Valley, $25,000
- Temple Beth El of Allentown, $21,207
Monroe County
- Congregation Bnai Harim, $24,000
- Congregation Ohr Menachem – Chabad Yeshiva of The Poconos, $150,000
- The Jewish Resource Center of the Poconos Inc., $25,000
- Brotherhood Temple Brith Achim, $24,814
- Congregation Beth Am Israel, $25,000
- Kaiserman Jewish Community Center, $40,000
- Kohelet Yeshiva, $108,419
- North Penn Mosque, $150,000
- St Sophia/Ss Faith, Hope & Agape Greek Orthodox Church at Valley Forge, $75,000
Northampton County
- Congregation Bnai Shalom, $25,000
- El Shaddai Assembly of God, $24,000
- St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, $24,895
- Valley Youth House, $25,000
Northumberland County
- Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Susquehanna Valley, $5,000
Perry County
- Talmudic Properties Penn, Inc, $25,000
Philadelphia County
- American Chinese Museum, $25,000
- Attic Youth Center, $25,000
- C.B. Community Schools, $22,162
- Drizin-Weiss Post 215 Jewish War Veterans of The United States Of America Inc, $84,333
- Leverington Church, $19,700
- Penn Hillel, $25,000
- Pennsylvania Eastern District Congress Camping Foundation, $25,000
- Quba Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Inc., $23,000
- Resources for Human Development, Inc., $24,978
- Union Baptist Church, $25,000
- Unitarian Society of Germantown, $53,600
Pike County
- Camp Gan Israel Northeast, Inc., $150,000
- Jewish Fellowship of Hemlock Farms, $15,000
Warren County
- Midwest Campers Inc, d/b/a Camp Stone, $75,000
Wayne County
- Camp Hachshara-Moshava of NY, Inc., $74,704
- Camp Morasha, $150,000
- Camp Ramah in the Poconos, $75,000
- Chevra of Jewish War Heroes, $150,000
- CZ Wellness Group Inc DBA Camp Zeke, $25,000
- Machneh Naarim, $25,000
Westmoreland County
- Congregation Emanu-El Israel, $25,000
- Mother Of Sorrows Church, $14,742
York County
- York Jewish Community Center, $9,400
PCCD stated that it intends to release another Nonprofit Security Grant Fund Program solicitation in January 2023. More information about PCCD’s Nonprofit Security Grant Fund Program and the application process can be found on PCCD’s website.
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