12 County Faith-Based Organizations to Get Security Grant Funding
12 County faith-based organizations will be receiving grant funding for security purposes. County Executive Marc Elrich recently announced that the funding will be coming from the Faith-based Facilities Security Operating Grants Program, and will be administered by the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Emergency Management (OEMHS).
Officials say the funds are provided to support faith-based institutions which have experienced, or are at high risk of experiencing hate crimes. The program is a one-time grant that mainly supports efforts to enhance security staffing and planning.
Funding for the grants was initially proposed by former County Executive Leggett in the wake of the Pittsburgh synagogue attack. It was approved by the previous Council in November of 2018. Grant awardees include:
| Entity | Award Amount | Provides for: |
| Islamic Community Center of Potomac Inc. | $20,000 | Security Staffing |
| Islamic Education Center Inc. | $20,000 | Security Staffing |
| Islamic Society of the Washington Area | $20,000 | Security Staffing |
| Muslim Community Center Inc. | $20,000 | Security Staffing |
| The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington Inc. | $100,000 | Security Staffing |
| Allen Chapel A M E Church Inc. | $2,000 | Security Staffing |
| Clinton A.M.E. Zion Church, Inc. | $2,000 | Security Staffing |
| Guru Nanak Foundation of America | $4,750 | Security Staffing |
| International Society for Krishna Consciousness ISKCON of DC | $1,000 | Security Staffing |
| Olive Branch Community Church Inc. | $1,000 | Security Drill |
| Reid Temple AME Church | $4,750 | Security Staffing |
| Takoma Park Seventh-day Adventist Church | $4,500 | Security Staffing |
According to a press release, the Montgomery County Council approved the $200,000 in grant funds as an amendment to the fiscal year 2019 budget in November 2018, which means funds will be available this spring.
In addition to the grant funding, OEMHS and Montgomery County Police will provide additional support to all applicants who indicated the need for assistance with security.
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