TAMPA, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis held a news conference at the Tampa History Center on Monday morning where they awarded several churches through the Hope Florida Initiative.
The two were joined by Florida Department of Children and Families Secretary Shevaun Harris and the Governor’s Liason for Faith and Community Erik Dellenback.
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The DeSantis family celebrated the success of the Hope Florida Initiative by awarding $25,000 to churches that have done “extensive work in their respective communities and has prevented families from falling into crisis.”
Those churches include:
• Riverlife Church in Bradenton
• Oasis Church in Pembroke Pines
• Radiant Church in Tampa
• South Shore Community Church in Sarasota
• Grace Bible Church of Sebring
• Idol Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale
• North River in Parish
• Action Church in Fort Lauderdale
• Bayside Community Church’s North River Campus
• United Methodist Church in Stuart
• Calvary Chapel of Fort Lauderdale
DeSantis also awarded Spanish River Church and Grace Family Church a $50,000 grant.
Casey DeSantis launched the Hope Florida Fund in July 2022 to leverage private sector charity to support deserving local nonprofit organizations involved in the Hope Florida Initiative.
According to a news release from the governor’s office, “Hope Florida has helped nearly 30,000 people transition off of government assistance and is consequentially estimated to save Florida taxpayers nearly $800 million dollars over the next 10 years.”
“Thanks to the leadership of Governor and First Lady DeSantis, our Department has been able to transform the way we engage with families, and continue to activate new faith-based partners and resources through the Hope Florida program,” said Department of Children and Families Secretary Shevaun Harris in a news release. “We are so honored to be able to give back to faith institutions that are helping our Hope Florida families overcome barriers as they work towards self-sufficiency and prosperity.”
Gov. DeSantis also spoke about Florida’s Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday took effect across the state on Monday.
The holiday will run from Monday, July 29 - Sunday, Aug. 11.
To learn more about what items are included in the sales tax holiday, please visit the Florida Department of Revenue’s website.
To close his press conference, DeSantis shared his disappointment over the opening of the Olympic Games in Paris, calling the representation of “The Last Supper” a “total mockery.”
Floridians who are in need of support can connect with Hope Florida by calling 850-300-HOPE. Churches interested in joining Hope Florida’s CarePortal can visit www.HopeFlorida.com.
Local 10 viewers can watch the conference in the video below.