Representative Malinowski Announces DHS Preparedness Grant Allocations for 7 Faith-Based Centers Serving NJ-07

Press Release

This week, Representative Tom Malinowski announced the grant recipients for the Fiscal Year 2020 Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) through the Department of Homeland Security. Nearly $700,000 has been awarded to ensure safety at 7 faith-based community centers serving the 7thCongressional District. This is a significant increase over Fiscal Year 2019, when the district received no federal funds through this program. Nationally, nearly $1.8 billion has been granted to assist states, local areas, tribal and territorial governments, nonprofit agencies, and the private sector with their preparedness efforts in the event of a violent terror attack.

Since his first days in office, Representative Malinowski has been a leading voice in Congress in the fight against white supremacist violence and domestic extremism. Last year, he joined Representative Bill Pascrell in calling on additional funding for the NSGP. In January, he hosted an Interfaith Security Briefing for local faith leaders. The briefing featured DHS officials who gave an overview of services available from state and federal law enforcement to better prepare houses of worship to handle potential security threats, including details on applying for the NSGP. Several of the 2020 grantees attended this briefing, and Representative Malinowski's office provided support during their application process.

"Violence motivated by hate is on the rise in America, and New Jersey has seen more than our share. I will continue fighting in Congress to ensure that the federal government provides our faith institutions with the resources necessary to keep their facilities safe and secure," said Representative Malinowski.

The NJ-07 recipients for this year's DHS preparedness grant are:

Congregation Beth Israel, Scotch Plains - $100,000
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Westfield - $89,000
First United Methodist Church of Westfield, Westfield - $100,000
St. John's Baptist Church, Scotch Plains - $100,000
St. John's Lutheran Church, Summit - $100,000
Temple Emanu-El of Westfield, Westfield - $100,000
Temple Sinai, Summit - $100,000
DHS preparedness grants help strengthen our nation's ability to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies in support of the National Preparedness Goal and the National Preparedness System. Grant awards focus on the nation's highest risk areas that face the most significant threats, including faith-based and non-profit communities in urban areas.

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