Gov. Scott: More Than 1 Million Volunteer Hours Served Following Hurricanes Irma and Maria
NAPLES, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott and Volunteer Florida announced that volunteers have served more than one million hours in Florida following Hurricanes Irma and Maria. To date, more than 22,500 volunteers have donated their time to assist those affected by these storms, and disaster relief organizations have documented 1,003,394 hours of volunteer service. Volunteer Florida continues to encourage Floridians who want to volunteer to find more information about their local volunteer organizations and opportunities HERE. Governor Scott said, “As families come together to celebrate Thanksgiving with their loved ones, we are all thankful for the hard work of the many selfless volunteers who have responded to those in need following Hurricanes Irma and Maria. I’m proud to recognize the thousands of volunteers from across the state who have dedicated more than one million hours to helping others. We will continue to work together to help families recover from these storms and I encourage all Floridians who are able to consider volunteering in their own communities.” As the state’s lead agency for volunteers and donations before, during, and after disasters, Volunteer Florida works closely with the Florida Division of Emergency Management, local and state government, the private sector, and nonprofit partners to coordinate volunteers and donations during times of need. Additionally, the Volunteer Florida Foundation administers the Florida Disaster Fund, the state’s official private fund for disaster response and recovery. The Florida Disaster Fund has raised more than $14.5 million to support those impacted by Hurricane Irma. Volunteer Florida Chief Executive Officer Vivian Myrtetus said, “Volunteers are a critical part of Florida’s emergency response efforts, serving side-by-side with emergency management personnel in the days, weeks, months, and years following major disasters. We are proud of our state’s volunteers and grateful for the strong support of Governor Scott and the Division of Emergency Management.” ### |