SUBIACO, Ark. — Six faith organizations in Arkansas have been selected to receive the Right to Worship Grants (RTWG) to reinforce security, according to a release from the Arkansas State Police (ASP).
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders worked with ASP and the legislature to make this grant possible. Before, there was no way to provide this type of grant to faith organizations who were high risk for terrorist attacks, the release said.
The Department of Public Safety's RTWG "supports physical security enhancement," and other forms of security "in the prevention, protection against, preparedness for, and response to terrorist threat/s and/or other extremist attack/s," ASP said.
Governor Sanders said the grant was created for faith groups "in need of protection." Gov. Sanders emphasizes no one should ever be "targeted for their faith."
The six churches that will receive the safety grants are:
- St. Mary’s Catholic Church Hot Springs: $8,065
- Congregation House of Israel: $11,273
- Subiaco Abbey: $30,805
- Congregation Agudath Achim: $43,200
- Lubavitch of Arkansas: $60,000
- Congregation B'nai Israel: $74,449
These Arkansas faith organizations applied for the grants and met all the requirements needed, ASP said. The requirements needed according to the release are:
1. Designated as a 501(c)3 organization
2. Received an active terrorist threat/s and/or extremist attack/s in the past 12 months
3. Established risk to the organization
It is also a requirement to be within the state of Arkansas and threats were verified by officials, the release said.
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