First Lady Casey DeSantis Hosts Cooking Class for Florida Youth in Foster Care
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ORLANDO, Fla. ~ ORLANDO, Fla. - First Lady Casey DeSantis, along with Department of Children and Families Secretary Shevaun Harris and Guardian ad Litem Executive Director Dennis Moore, hosted a cooking class for Hope Florida mentors and mentees today. The event aimed to showcase the partnership between Hope Florida and the Guardian ad Litem program, which has successfully paired hundreds of mentorship pairs since its launch in September 2023. With a growing need for mentors across the state of Florida, this event highlighted the importance of mentorship for youth aging out of the foster care system.

In her statement, First Lady Casey DeSantis emphasized the significance of strong role models in shaping the success of young individuals. As a mother to three young children herself, she understands the impact that mentors can have on a child's life. She expressed her joy in spending time cooking with the boys and girls from Florida's foster program and encouraged those with a calling for mentorship to apply through Hope Florida.

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The First Lady's initiative, Hope Florida - A Pathway to Promise, aims to connect foster families and youth aging out of foster care with volunteer mentors through Hope Navigators. These mentors offer guidance, motivation, and emotional support to assist in their transition to independent living.

Executive Director Dennis Moore also spoke about the positive influence that mentors have on youth aging out of foster care. He joined First Lady Casey DeSantis and Secretary Harris in encouraging Hope Florida mentees to live healthy and fulfilling lives. With a growing need for more mentors across the state, he urged individuals with a heart to serve to join this program.

Since its launch last fall, Hope Florida has successfully paired nearly 900 foster youth with mentors. However, there is still a need for more mentors in the Orlando area alone, with over 100 foster youth waiting for a local mentor. Those interested in becoming a mentor can visit hopeflorida.com or call 850-300-HOPE to learn more.

Department of Children and Families Secretary Shevaun Harris also stressed the importance of having a mentor in every child's life. She expressed her delight in watching foster youth engage in a fun cooking class with their mentors and thanked First Lady Casey DeSantis for her leadership in recruiting more mentors for the youth. She also highlighted the program's goal of helping Floridians achieve economic self-sufficiency and estimated that Hope Florida could save the state nearly $800 million over 10 years.

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Through collaboration between multiple state agencies, Hope Florida utilizes Hope Navigators to guide individuals on a personalized path towards prosperity and economic independence. This first-of-its-kind program brings together different parts of the community to provide support and uncover new opportunities for those going through difficult times. Hope Navigators work with individuals to identify their needs, set long-term goals, and map out a path forward while ensuring that all sectors of the community are involved in finding lasting solutions.

Floridians in need of support or foster youth looking for a mentor can connect with Hope Florida by visiting www.HopeFlorida.com or calling the Hope Line at 850-300-HOPE. With the growing need for mentors across the state, this program offers an opportunity for individuals to make a positive impact on the lives of young individuals and contribute to their communities.

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