PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference Thursday morning in Panama City Beach to recognize recipients of grant money from the Hope Florida Fund.
Spearheaded in 2021 by Florida first lady Casey DeSantis and implemented by the Florida Department of Children and Families, Hope Florida is billed as a care portal connecting the needy to resources via volunteer groups, businesses and faith-based organizations. The program’s mission statement reads, “We’re not just offering a handout — we’re empowering individuals to embrace their full God-given potential.” The Hope Florida Fund itself was launched in July 2022, according to the governor’s office.
Recommended Videos
“I’m proud to say that since this program has been launched — and I mean, we kind of started it when I first became governor, but the portal and everything has not been in existence that long, just a couple of years — we’ve had 100,000 Floridians that have been connected to assistance. Almost 30,000 Hope Florida participants have either reduced or completely eliminated their reliance on public assistance altogether and that is a success,” Gov. DeSantis said.
The Hope Florida fund was designed to “harness the charity of the private sector to give funds to deserving local nonprofit entities” because “government is not and should not be the only solution,” according to the governor’s office.
“Transitioning off government assistance is important because it’s empowering people to live up to their God-given potential, but it’s more than that, and it is what this this entire program is all about, and it is hope,” Casey DeSantis said. “Hope for a better day. Hope for your kids. Hope for yourself. Hope that this too shall pass. And we can only do that by bringing the government in communication and collaboration, coordination, with the key people on the ground in the community.”
Thursday’s grant recipients included Vision of Hope, Saint Andrew Christian Care Center, BeGenerous, First Baptist Church of Pensacola, A Bed 4 Me Foundation, Food for Thought Outreach and Caring & Sharing of South Walton. Each received $20,000.
The governor and the first lady were joined for remarks at Beachside Fellowship Miracle Center by Florida Department of Children and Families Secretary Shevaun Harris.
“Hope Florida has transformed the way Floridians in need access critical resources and its success is undeniable,” Harris said.
Read more about Hope Florida and learn how to contact a Hope Navigator for assistance by clicking here.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: