Casey DeSantis Expands ‘Hope Florida’ to Assist Seniors or Allow Them to Volunteer to Help Others in Need

THE VILLAGES (FLV) – Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis announced she is expanding her Hope Florida initiative to the Florida Department of Elder Affairs to both serve the state’s seniors and help those looking to help “find purpose” by volunteering.

45 seniors are already lined up to become a ‘Hope Hero’ to serve their community.

Hope Florida – A Pathway to Purpose was launched in 2021 and has “served nearly 50,000 individuals,” the governor’s office said.

The initiative is meant to “unite the private sector, faith-based institutions, non-profits, and government entities” to “uncover opportunities” for those in need.

‘Hope Navigators’ will be deployed into communities to help find seniors in need or find seniors looking to serve their community. Call 850-300-HOPE to be paired with one.

Floridians can call 800-96-ELDER to learn how to support Florida’s seniors in need.

“Hope Florida – A Pathway to Purpose is an all-hands-on-deck operation to meet the needs of seniors while creating opportunities for them to give back,” DeSantis said. “We are not only aiding Floridians in search of help, but also tapping into the Florida retiree population to volunteer.”

“It’s incredible to see 45 seniors already lined up as Hope Heroes today; we are grateful for their willingness to serve and are committed to making it easier for them to do so. We are also expanding the role of the private sector and faith-based organizations by alerting those who wish to help but may not know of seniors’ needs in their area. I’m happy to say that with today’s expansion, we are continuing the Hope Florida theme of organizing the generosity and goodness of neighbors to help one another.” 

“We are thrilled to be part of Hope Florida – A Pathway to Purpose and to launch the Hope Heroes initiative,” Department of Elder Affairs Secretary Michelle Branham said. “Florida has a robust aging network that has an engaging presence in each local community. It’s our goal to ensure seniors are living well and aging well in the place of their choosing. Hope Florida is an innovative and thoughtful initiative that gives us a new, hands-on approach to care.”

“We are so appreciative of the First Lady’s commitment and dedication to ensuring the needs of our State’s most vulnerable populations are met,” Department of Children and Families Secretary Shevaun Harris said. “Through Hope Florida – A Pathway to Prosperity, we are helping to connect those in need with individuals and organizations who want to help and are so excited to see the program expand to serve Florida’s seniors.”