Twenty-ninelocal faith-based, cultural, and Indigenous communities will share $220,000 to implement measures to protect themselves.
Local funding examples through the Anti-Hate Security and Prevention Grant include:
- $20,000 for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Sault Ste. Marie
- $15,000 for the Calvin Presbyterian Church
“St. Joseph’s Motherhouse is home to members of our congregational family; tenants who live in our 34 seniors’ apartment units; and employs staff members, from various cultures, in various capacities," says Sister Costanza Romano, General Treasurer.
"Through the funds received from the grant, we were able to install an external security system enabling us to see who is on the property and if there is any issue with damage, etc.; a key fob system that provides security to ensure only those who should be in the building are in the building and to ensure safety and a knowledge of who is in the building, in the event of an emergency; a public address system for the North Wing, so that tenants can hear announcements in the event of an emergency.
"All of these measures ensure the safety and security of our sisters, staff, tenants, as well as the many guests who enter through our doors on a daily basis. In addition, we updated our systems to improve cyber security.”
“At Calvin Presbyterian Church, in addition to our regular church events, each week we share our space with 18-20 community self-help groups involving hundreds of people," says Keith Pacey. "We were blessed to receive $15,000, $7,500 from each of the last two Anti-Hate Security and Prevention Grant rounds which we used to replace one of our oldest outside doors and to upgrade our video security system. Without these funds, these upgrades would have been a huge financial challenge and would not be in place at this time. These changes have helped to provide an even better safe and secure premise for everyone who uses our facility.”
"Grant funding can be used for measures such as hiring security staff, surveillance cameras, security assessments, cybersecurity and building repairs and we encourage our local eligible organization to apply for funding," said MPP Vic Fedeli.
The Anti-Hate Security Prevention Grant application portal opens today and closes on December 2. The Anti-Hate Security and Prevention Grant provides up to $10,000 to eligible community organizations to help them protect their spaces from hate-motivated incidents, graffiti, vandalism, or other damage. Organizations can review eligibility and apply for funding at Ontario.ca/AHSP.
