Central Floridians will be able to get help after hurricanes from a new statewide partnership between the public and private sectors, houses of worship and nonprofits.
Hope Florida and the Florida Division of Emergency Management will provide resources to Floridians who need them through their new Activate Hope Program.
Floridians can go directly on the Hope Florida website after a storm to request assistance with food, household goods, home repairs and more.
Governor Ron DeSantis said buses affiliated with the program will also be deployed to hard-hit areas after a storm.
“They’ll be at any PODs, point of distribution sites. And this is when people can drive their car through. They get food, water, ice, [and] tarps after disasters,” said DeSantis.
Along with these items, baby supplies like diapers and other cleaning supplies will also be available.
“And the thought is that when these disasters happen, you go to Hope Florida,” said DeSantis. “People can click, and then they can see the resources that are available.”
Starting Wednesday, Floridians can also call a toll-free help line: 833-GET-HELP.
Governor Ron DeSantis said so far, 300 Hurricane Debby survivors have already requested assistance from the program.
The program will use Hope Navigators who answer calls for help to connect people with the resources they need, along with state employees who volunteer during storms.
Hope Florida was rolled out by the DeSantis administration in 2022.
The program connects people in need with local houses of worship like churches, and other nonprofits who can assist with job seeker support, help for new parents, and assistance finding food.
In a statement the program said, “nearly 30,000 Floridians have reduced their reliance upon or are no longer reliant on government assistance” thanks to Hope Florida.
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