The program Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis spearheaded to connect Floridians in need with charitable organizations will soon link people seeking volunteer opportunities in their communities.
Casey DeSantis announced the development Wednesday during a panel at the Florida Department of Children and Families’ annual summit in Orlando, where she and Gov. Ron DeSantis focused much of their remarks on the Hope Florida program.
“We haven’t officially launched it yet, but okay, that’s fine,” the first lady said of the new initiative.
“With Hope Florida, we’ve always focused on, you know, if you need help, call 833-GET-HOPE, right?” she continued.
“But there are a lot of people who want to help, who would like to be able to mentor, or read to a child, or volunteer at an animal shelter, or who would like to help with disaster recovery. But again, there are so many different things. It’s so hard to go to Google and DuckDuckGo and figure it out, it’s like I have to go here and there, and it’s a hassle.”
The governor and his wife have promoted the program, launched in 2021, as a way for Floridians to not rely on government services but instead seek help from community actors, such as faith-based groups, nonprofits and businesses. Casey DeSantis said people will soon be able to call the Hope Florida line for volunteer opportunities, though he did not give an exact date.
“We are making all these opportunities available to people who need help and those who want to help, and I think that will be a big change,” he said.
On August 21, Ron and Casey DeSantis announced the integration of Hope Florida into the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s response to natural disasters.
FLORIDA PHOENIX
September 8, 2024
9:21 AM
