The Canadian province of Alberta is speeding up grants for communities vulnerable to violence and vandalism, reported the Edmonton Journal.
The move comes in the wake of increased hate-motivated violence and vandalism across the province.
Nonprofit organizations can apply for a one-time emergency grant of up to $12,000, the province said on Tuesday.
The funds are being made available in the wake of “recent multiple acts of vandalism at places of worship and the suspected arson that burned a church to the ground,” said a statement from the province.
“We must all condemn hate-motivated acts of violence and vandalism,” Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said. “That’s why we introduced the security infrastructure program … and why we are making help available immediately for those at risk of hate-motivated crimes.”
Vulnerable groups need to show that there is an immediate or specific threat of violence or vandalism due to hate-related reasons to quality for the grants.
The move follows similar programs by other provinces to counter a growing problem of hate-motivated attacks on the Jewish community and other communities across Canada.
At the beginning of the month, the government of Ontario announced a plan to counter rising anti-Semitism in schools and communities.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the province would give $327,000 to the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies to support education courses.
One program will provide professional development sessions for educators aimed at dismantling anti-Semitism in various environments. Another will help students learn about human rights and how to deal with injustice, according to The Canadian Press.