Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a permanent expansion of a program that provides resources to families to help them recover from disasters. Activate Hope will be an expansion of Hope Florida and will serve as the "emergency response arm" for the initiative, DeSantis said at a Sarasota news conference on Wednesday. Hope Florida helps single parents, youth aging out of foster care, individuals on government assistance and other residents in need. People can reach out and be connected with Hope Navigators, who work with individuals to identify what they need and connect them with the appropriate resources. The new extension of the program will help Floridians get resources like food, household goods, home repairs and more. “The launch of Activate Hope through Hope Florida and the Florida Division of Emergency Management will enable us to strengthen our recovery efforts and rebuild stronger communities by utilizing the existing Hope Florida network to help those impacted by disasters find the help they need," DeSantis said in a news release. Activate Hope will be a part of the Florida Division of Emergency Management at their distribution sites following a disaster like a hurricane. Hope Navigators and volunteers from state agencies will be on-site after a storm to distribute supplies and offer Hope Navigation services, a news release said. At the conference, the governor mentioned Hurricane Debby and the severe flooding parts of the community faced. "We also have storms like Debby that just leave a lot of water. It's not that the winds are knocking over all the buildings, but it's just areas are taking a lot of water," DeSantis said. MORE: https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/sarasotacounty/desantis-hope-florida-initiative-expand-permanent-program/67-1f2b7e57-8615-41d5-b78d-4fb85ba3dd0e