Religious institutions and faith-based organizations are central to the resiliency and strength of communities. From providing comfort in times of turmoil, to support in times of need, to guidance in times of uncertainty, such establishments have long been a pillar of life and society.

For example, in 1819, Jewish American Rebecca Gratz helped establish the Female Hebrew Benevolent Society to serve impoverished Jews in Philadelphia. Today, it is the United States’s oldest Jewish charitable organization in continuous existence. Or consider the YMCA, which was initially established as a safe haven and supportive community for young men to escape destructive influences in industrialized London. The first YMCA opened in the U.S. in 1851, and today, the Y across America serves more than 10,000 communities.