Maryland allocates more than $7 million to increase safety in places of worship

BALTIMORE -- Over $7 million in federal funding will be used to strengthen security at 50 churches, synagogues, mosques and other religious community centers in Maryland, lawmakers announced Thursday.

The Department of Homeland Security's Nonprofit Security Grant Program provided $7,393,350 to help high-risk nonprofits, including places of worship, get resources to support public safety. 

More than 25 of the places of worship awarded grant funds are in the Baltimore area.

Baltimore Area - $4,050,000

• $150,000 – Adamah, Inc. 
• $150,000 – Baldwin Memorial United Methodist Church           
• $150,000 – Berea Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church          
• $150,000 – Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church
• $150,000 – Cedar Grove Methodist Church         
• $150,000 – Chabad of West Pikesville     
• $150,000 – Chabad-Lubavitch of Maryland Inc. 
• $150,000 – Congregation Aish Kodesh, Inc.       
• $150,000 – Congregation Ariel Russian Community Synagogue, Inc.   
• $150,000 – Congregation Kneseth Israel 
• $150,000 – Grace Bible Baptist Church (Main Building)
• $150,000 – Greenspring Sephardic Synagogue, Inc.       
• $150,000 – Hope Center DC        
• $150,000 – Jewish Community Services  
• $150,000 – Keter Torah    
• $150,000 – Khosh Family Foundation     
• $150,000 – Mosdos Kehal Chassidim - Day Care
• $150,000 – Odenton Baptist Church and Odenton Christian School       
• $150,000 – Ohr Menachem Jewish Center Inc.   
• $150,000 – St. Ignatius Hickory Roman Catholic Congregation 
• $150,000 – St. Michael the Archangel, Overlea, Roman Catholic Congregation Inc.    
• $150,000 – St. Stephen Roman Catholic Congregation   
• $150,000 – The Greenspring Valley Synagogue and Center (Ner Tamid)          
• $150,000 – The Rector Wardens and Vestry St Anne's Parish of Annapolis, Inc. - Preschool   
• $150,000 – Third Space at Shaarei Tfiloh
• $150,000 – Union Memorial United Methodist Church  
• $150,000 – Women's Institute of Torah Seminary for Girls, Inc.

National Capital Region - $2,239,850        

• $150,000 – Beth Sholom Congregation and Talmud Torah
• $150,000 – Chabad of Potomac Village       
• $150,000 – Congregation and Talmud Torah B'nai Israel
• $150,000 – Epworth United Methodist Church   
• $150,000 – Glenmont United Methodist Church 
• $150,000 – IMAAM Inc.   
• $149,850 – Lutif Ul Lahi (The Kindness and Praise of God)      
• $150,000 – Magen David Sephardic        
• $142,000 – Metropolitan Baptist Church 
• $150,000 – Murugan Temple of North America  
• $150,000 – Orthodox Congregation of Silver Spring       
• $150,000 – Torah School of Greater Washington
• $148,000 – Westmoreland Congregational United Church of Christ      
• $150,000 – Young Israel Shomrai Emunah of Greater Washington        
• $150,000 – Young Israel Shomrai Emunah of GW-Youth House

Western Maryland - $968,500

• $150,000 – Beth Sholom Congregation
• $150,000 – Chabad Lubavitch of Frederick         
• $150,000 – Crossroads Apostolic Church
• $150,000 – Heritage Academy, Inc.         
• $148,500 – Islamic Society of Frederick  
• $150,000 – Islamic Society of Western Maryland           
• $70,000 – LaVale Methodist Church       

Southern Maryland - $135,000

• $135,000 – Living Hope First United Pentecostal Church           

"Religious freedom is protected under our Constitution, and every Marylander must be able to worship without fear for their safety," Maryland lawmakers said in a joint statement. "With threats and attacks against faith communities on the rise, we must not only speak out against those hateful actions – we also must invest in protecting these institutions that support communities across our state. Maryland families can trust that these federal grants will help ensure houses of worship have the resources they need to keep them safe."