The Church of the Good Shepherd received a $26,750 grant from the state to strengthen the church’s safety and security.

The funds were issued through the Commonwealth Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which helps implement “target hardening” and physical security enhancements for locations that are at a higher risk for hate crimes or violence, according to a release from Sen. Marc Pacheco’s office.

“These resources support safety enhancements at nonprofit sites that potentially face an increased risk of violence to help keep members of local faith communities safe,” Pacheco said. “Congratulations to the Church of the Good Shepard for being selected to receive this valuable award from a competitive grant program.”