JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office, and the Florida Faith-Based and Community-Based Advisory Council hosted a Hope Florida roundtable highlighting Florida’s mentoring efforts during National Mentoring Month.
Hosted at the Church of Eleven22 in Jacksonville, the roundtable discussion focused on the importance and effectiveness of mentoring and encouraged participation in mentorship opportunities for Florida’s youth.
Hope Heroes empowering youth
“Mentoring means dedication of one’s time to motivate, educate, support and inspire another individual, a gift that keeps on giving,” said Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office Executive Director Dennis W. Moore. “Thanks to First Lady Casey DeSantis’ leadership, Hope Florida – A Pathway to Promise allows community members to significantly impact youth aging out of the Florida foster care system. If we volunteer and give back in this rewarding way, our foster youth will be more empowered and prepared to reach their dreams and goals, positively impacting our most vulnerable youth and their communities.”
“Mentoring means dedication of one’s time to motivate, educate, support and inspire another individual, a gift that keeps on giving.”
Dennis W. Moore, executive director, Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office
“Tremendous thanks to our First Lady Casey DeSantis for the opportunity to be part of Hope Florida – A Pathway to Purpose. With her leadership, the department has recruited over four hundred Hope Hero senior volunteers who are actively engaged all over the state of Florida,” said Florida Department of Elder Affairs Secretary Michelle Branham. “To all our cherished retirees in the state, we need your expertise and wisdom! Please consider becoming a Hope Hero; because your impact on the lives of others is so profound, and the transformation in your own life is equally remarkable.”
“I’m honored to come alongside our Hope Hero volunteers, Hope Navigators and Guardian Ad Litem mentors during National Mentoring Month,” said Erik Dellenback, Governor DeSantis’ Liaison for Faith and Community. “Hope Florida continues to be a beacon of simple yet profound connection, and I am proud to stand with the First Lady in that effort.”
“Hope Florida is making a difference in the lives of children and families across our state by connecting them to viable resources and working hand in hand with families to achieve their goals,” said DJJ Statewide Hope Navigator Liz Phillips. “Mentors are a vital and important component of Hope Florida, and we encourage anyone passionate about helping young people to get involved in their local community.”
Over 500 foster youth paired with mentors
With a continued commitment to Florida’s children and families, First Lady Casey DeSantis and the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice recently announced an investment of an additional $1 million to enhance and expand mentoring services across the state. This investment further builds upon $12.8 million in mentorship funding at the Department of Children and Families as well as the recent expansion of First Lady Casey DeSantis’ Hope Florida initiative to the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office. Through this expansion, over 500 foster youth have been paired with Guardian ad Litem mentors.
Launched in 2021 by First Lady Casey DeSantis, Hope Florida has been implemented by multiple agencies including the Florida Department of Children and Families, the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Agency for Persons with Disabilities, the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office. This initiative 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 community, nonprofits and government entities to break down traditional community silos to maximize support and uncover opportunities.
Hope Navigators are essential in helping individuals identify their unique and immediate barriers to prosperity, 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. In addition, Hope Navigators help identify and organize opportunities for Floridians who wish to help their neighbors by connecting community members, including Florida seniors, with volunteer and mentorship opportunities.
Mentoring opportunities
MENTOR operates the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s National Mentoring Resource Center and provides technical assistance to mentoring programs across the country.
If you are interested in sponsoring or participating in a mentoring program in your area, you can contact one of MENTOR’s 24 affiliates across the country: “MENTOR scales impact by developing and supporting affiliates on a national level. These affiliates are non-partisan, public-private organizations that galvanize local or statewide mentoring movements. They provide the leadership and infrastructure necessary to support the expansion of quality mentoring relationships.”
MENTOR also helps expand the mentoring movement through the Mentoring Connector, the only national database of mentoring programs that works to pair potential mentors and mentoring programs. The organization also works to drive equity through initiatives and campaigns such as the Workplace Equity Pledge, Connect|Focus|Grow, and National Mentoring Month.
