After Hurricane Michael, First Lady Casey DeSantis introduces Hope Florida

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As part of her Hope Florida – A Pathway to Purpose initiative in collaboration with the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, First Lady Casey DeSantis today announced the deployment of the volunteer team she assembled, the Hope Heroes, to assist older Floridians who have been affected by Hurricane Ian.

Charlotte and Lee counties will get the Hope Heroes. The Florida Disaster Fund has given contributions totaling more than $1 million to aid groups supporting Hurricane Ian recovery efforts, the First Lady announced on Friday.

First Lady Casey DeSantis said, “We are determined to supporting everyone affected by Hurricane Ian, especially our fragile elderly population.” We can’t express our gratitude to our Hope Hero volunteers enough for their prompt action, generosity, and compassion in supporting individuals in need via our Hope Florida – A Pathway to Purpose campaign.

Participants in the Hope Heroes program, which was launched by the First Lady in August in collaboration with the Department of Elder Affairs, will assist Florida’s senior citizens by volunteering in shelters, conducting home-based needs assessments, giving telephone comfort, delivering shelf-stable meals and water, and helping out at the Family Resource Centers run by the Department of Children and Families.

Michelle Branham, secretary of the Department of Elder Affairs, stated, “I am extremely thrilled to be working so closely with First Lady DeSantis, and I appreciate her and the Governor’s leadership and support during this time. “What makes our network unique are the Hope Heroes and volunteer corps. Florida’s aging infrastructure benefits from a strong network of Area Agencies on Aging partners as well as strong linkages to private sector and faith-based organizations to give additional support on top of the assistance we already provide.

The First Lady also warns citizens to watch out for post-storm consumer fraud, which often targets elderly people.

• Before setting up repairs if your house is destroyed, be sure to have your insurance company assess the damage.
• Before starting any work, be sure contractors have a license by visiting MyFloridaLicense.com.
• Beware of anybody who approaches you regarding tree removal without your permission.
• Watch out for nonprofits with names that seem similar. By utilizing names that are similar to those of actual, well-known organizations, some fake charities may try to profit from catastrophes.
• If you wish to help out, you may donate money with confidence to the Florida Disaster Fund.
• No local, state, or federal disaster relief organization will contact you to ask for your financial details.