Florida – With the introduction of “Activate Hope,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis today unveiled a major extension to the Hope Florida project. By combining private sector, nonprofit, and government agency resources, this new arm of the program is meant to help Floridians rebuild catastrophic events.
“Activate Hope” seeks to guarantee that Floridians have quick access to food, household goods, and home repair services so helping communities destroyed by catastrophes. The program makes use of the Hope Florida network already in place, which has been very beneficial for locals from its start.
Governor DeSantis stressed Florida’s leadership in storm readiness and disaster response during the announcement.
“The launch of Activate Hope through Hope Florida and the Florida Division of Emergency Management will enable us to strengthen our recovery efforts and rebuild stronger communities by utilizing the existing Hope Florida network to help those impacted by disasters find the help they need,” he stated.
First Lady Casey DeSantis highlighted the personal impact of the initiative:
“With today’s launch of Activate Hope, we can now bring Hope Florida directly to a community in exceptional need—like those dealing with the impacts of a storm,” said First Lady Casey DeSantis.
The project was hailed by Kevin Guthrie, Executive Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), as evidence of Florida’s creative approach to disaster reaction. FDEM is pleased to sponsor this program, which will not only assist locals in the immediate aftermath of a disaster but also help our communities to be long-term resilient. Guthrie noted.
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A specialized box truck and an extra ADA-accessible Hope Bus will be part of the program expansion and help to distribute vital supplies including food, water, and baby products at key locations including State Business Recovery Centers and Multi-Agency Resource Centers.
Apart from the tangible resources, the DeSantis government also revealed the introduction of a new toll-free Hope Line (833-GET-HOPE). This phone line is meant to link people with Hope Navigators, who help with needs identification, long-term goal planning, strategy mapping for self-sufficiency and recovery.
With an expected savings of about $800 million to the state over the next ten years, Hope Florida has helped around 30,000 residents reduce their need on government assistance since its July 2022 start. This number indicates how well the program encourages Floridian self-reliance and community involvement.
Residents and businesses can visit HopeFlorida.com or call the recently launched Hope Line for further information on how to interact with Hope Florida or join the Hope Florida CarePortal.
