SARASOTA, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a permanent expansion of a program that provides resources to families to help them recover from disasters.
Activate Hope will be an expansion of Hope Florida and will serve as the "emergency response arm" for the initiative, DeSantis said at a Sarasota news conference on Wednesday.
Hope Florida helps single parents, youth aging out of foster care, individuals on government assistance and other residents in need. People can reach out and be connected with Hope Navigators, who work with individuals to identify what they need and connect them with the appropriate resources. The new extension of the program will help Floridians get resources like food, household goods, home repairs and more.
“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," DeSantis said in a news release.
Activate Hope will be a part of the Florida Division of Emergency Management at their distribution sites following a disaster like a hurricane. Hope Navigators and volunteers from state agencies will be on-site after a storm to distribute supplies and offer Hope Navigation services, a news release said.
At the conference, the governor mentioned Hurricane Debby and the severe flooding parts of the community faced.
"We also have storms like Debby that just leave a lot of water. It's not that the winds are knocking over all the buildings, but it's just areas are taking a lot of water," DeSantis said.
Homes across the area were submerged in water, with parts of the county dealing with flooding days after as rivers continued to rise. President Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration for Sarasota and Manatee counties following the Category 1 storm.
Immediately after the storm, the Florida National Guard was ready to assist with recovery including the distribution of meals and bottles of water. Now, the new program will give other organizations, such as churches or businesses, one main place to go to reach residents.
The program's goal is to streamline the process for people to get help and resources through both the public and private sectors.
"It's a one-stop shop," Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said at the news conference.
DeSantis said the expansion will also include a new box truck and an additional Hope Bus that will help volunteers distribute the supplies. In addition, a new toll-free Hope Line at 833-GET-HOPE (4673) will be active starting Wednesday for Floridians who want to be connected to resources.