Harrisburg, PA. — Governor Tom Wolf announced today 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
Chester County
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
Delaware County
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
Lancaster County
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
Montgomery County
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 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. Questions regarding the Program should be forwarded to RA-CD-NPSEC-GRANT@pa.gov.
Governor Wolf has served for two terms as a leader consistently at work for the people of Pennsylvania. Learn more about how his Priorities for Pennsylvania have fueled the commonwealth's comeback, leaving Pennsylvania in a much better place than when he arrived.
MEDIA CONTACT: Elizabeth Rementer, Governor's Office, ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov