LIVE OAK, Fla.—First Lady Casey DeSantis awarded five Suwannee, Madison, and Columbia County nonprofit organizations with $10,000 each through the Hope Florida Fund. Recipients recognized by the First Lady were: Pregnancy Care Center, First Baptist Church of Live Oak, Love in the Name of Christ of Suwannee County, Christian Service Center of Columbia County, and Forgotten Coast K9.

First Lady Casey DeSantis launched the Hope Florida Fund in July 2022 to harness the charity of the private sector to give funds to deserving local nonprofit entities through her Hope Florida initiative. Today’s award recipients serve families, expectant mothers, veterans, and first responders. Hope Florida funding awards are made possible by the generosity of the Florida private sector and not at taxpayer expense.

“It was a pleasure to visit Suwannee County today to recognize and award Hope Florida funding to five nonprofits in the local community,” said First Lady Casey DeSantis. “It is heartwarming to meet more Florida nonprofit organizations that are generously serving those in need. I am grateful for this opportunity to be able to supplement their efforts with funding.”

“Thanks to the leadership of First Lady Casey DeSantis, Hope Florida has transformed the way we interact with families in the state of Florida,” said Department of Children and Families Secretary Shevaun Harris. “What makes the Hope Florida program so special is the collaboration with nonprofits and faith institutions throughout the state, and today we were able to honor a few organizations doing excellent work with their communities.”

First Lady Casey DeSantis also recognized Long Term Recovery Groups (LTRGs) that received $550,000 in Florida Disaster Fund recovery grants in January to help coordinate long-term recovery services within the impacted communities. The Florida Disaster Fund is the State of Florida’s official private fund established to assist Florida’s communities as they respond to and recover after a disaster.

Floridians who are in need of support can connect with Hope Florida by visiting www.HopeFlorida.com or calling the Hope Line (850-300-HOPE).

Through implementation at multiple state agencies, Hope Florida utilizes Hope Navigators to guide Floridians on an individualized path to prosperity and economic self-sufficiency by focusing on community collaboration between the private sector, faith-based communities, nonprofits, and government entities to break down traditional community silos, maximize support, and uncover new opportunities. Hope Navigators help individuals identify their unique and immediate needs, develop long-term goals, map out a strategic plan, and work to ensure all sectors of the community have a ‘seat at the table’ to be a key part of the solution.

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