Greater Harrisburg's Community Magazine

Local places of worship, nonprofits receive funding for security, safety enhancements

Chisuk Emuna Congregation, a recipient of the Nonprofit Security Grant Program funding

Friday starts off a holiday weekend celebrated by many local religious communities.

The day before, state officials announced funding to support the safety of places of worship and local nonprofits.

Through the commonwealth’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program, a handful of Harrisburg-area nonprofits will receive a combined $132,201 in funds.

“This program exists in order to provide the necessary funds to update security, training and safety procedures to protect nonprofit organizations from violent attacks, hate crimes and acts of terrorism,” said Rep. Patty Kim (D-103). “I’m pleased to see funding will be provided to organizations in order to protect local residents and preserve their right to worship and gather in our community safely.”

According to Kim, this state program was created following the 2018 shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, a tragedy that resulted in the deaths of 11 people.

The following nonprofits in the 103rd legislative district, which covers all of Harrisburg and several adjacent east shore communities, have been approved for the listed amount:

  • YWCA Greater Harrisburg, $6,895
  • Metropolitan Community Church of the Spirit, $15,439
  • Islamic Center Masjid Al-Sabereen, $74,436
  • Chisuk Emuna Congregation, $10,503
  • Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, $24,928

The grant program is administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

Awardees can use the funds for safety and security planning, security equipment and technology, training, building upgrades, vulnerability and threat assessments and other security enhancements.

Eligible organizations are chosen based on substantiated prior threats or attacks they have faced because of ideology, beliefs or mission; buildings of symbolic historic or regional value that they operate in; and/or based on findings from previous threats or vulnerability assessments, according to the PA House of Representatives.

These organizations may be at risk for single bias hate crime incidents as identified by the FBI’s Hate Crime Statistics publication, according to the state. The categories include race/ethnicity/ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender and gender identity.

Gov. Tom Wolf also announced on Thursday that, in total, over $5.23 million in the security grant program funding will go to 120 churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and other nonprofit organizations across the commonwealth.

“This is an investment in the safety and security of the diverse communities that are the tapestry of Pennsylvania,” Wolf said. “It’s unfortunate that hate continues to surface here, hurting Pennsylvanians and tearing apart our communities. I will continue to stand with and support these communities in any way I can.”

For more information on the Nonprofit Security Grant Program and for a full list of Pennsylvania awardees, visit their website.

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