Gov. Wolf Announced $5.23 Million In Funding To Protect Diverse PA Communities

HARRISBURG — The administration of Gov. Tom Wolf announced Thursday that more than $5.23 million in funding awards would be doled out to communities across the commonwealth to help with upgrading security at religious institutions and other vulnerable organizations in diverse communities.

The money is aimed at helping organizations that often face bias improve their security and protect themselves against hate crimes.

"This is an investment in the safety and security of the diverse communities that are the tapestry of Pennsylvania," Wolf said in a statement. "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."

The money comes from the Nonprofit Security Grant Fund Program, which is administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

The fund was established to provide grants to nonprofits who serve individuals, groups or institutions that are included within a bias motivation category for single bias hate crime incidents identified by the FBI's Hate Crime Statistics publication, according to the governor's office.

Money was awarded to various organizations across 24 Pennsylvania counties, including those in the five-county Greater Philadelphia region.

In Montgomery County, the following recipients were given grant funding:

• Kaiserman Jewish Community Center, $17,980
• Gan Israel Chabad, Inc., $25,000
• Brotherhood Temple Brith Achim, $24,950
• Congregation Adath Jeshurun, $25,000
• Abington Monthly Meeting, Inc., $24,200
• Har Zion Temple, $75,000
• YWCA Tri-County Area, $23,687
• Temple Sinai, $25,000
• Lubavitch of Abington, Inc., $25,000
• Main Line Reform Temple, $150,000
• Temple Adath Israel of the Main Line, $150,000
• Lubavitch of Montgomery County, $55,640
• The Mesivta High School of Greater Philadelphia, $50,000
• Friends' Central School, $24,090
• Yeshivas Ohr Hachaim (DBA Mesivta Yesodei Yisroel), $75,000
• Chabad Lubavitch of the Main Line, Inc., $50,250
• Darchei Noam, $23,051
• Reconstructing Judaism, $24,967
• Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha — Northeast, Inc., $24,987
• Caskey Torah Academy, $25,000
• Bharatiya Temple, Inc., $79,366

In Chester County, the following recipients were given grant funding:

• Islamic Society of Greater Valley Forge, $45,757
• Coatesville Center for Community Health, $24,430
• Masjid Al Rahman of Chester County Inc, $100,000
• Congregation B’nai Jacob Phoenixville PA, $24,980
• Kesher Israel Congregation, $40,000

In Delaware County, the following recipients were given grant funding:

• Congregation Beth Israel of Media, $24,891
• Everest PACE Center Inc., $150,000
• Congregation Beth El-Ner Tamid, $20,000
• Upper Darby Township & Sellers Memorial Free Public Library, $20,000
• St. Paul's Syrian Orthodox Church, $10,560