Ryan Nicol
Volunteer Florida CEO Clay Ingram says 2019 was a year of “incredible successes” as his first year serving under Gov. Ron DeSantis winds to a close.
The platform partnered with First Lady Casey DeSantis to launch Volunteer Connect, which joins Floridians looking to volunteer with organizations that need their help.
“Under the leadership of Governor and First Lady DeSantis, Volunteer Florida has been able to do more good for Florida’s communities,” Ingram said in a release recapping his first year on the job.
“Together, we have been able to create a culture of volunteerism in our state which will only grow stronger in the years ahead. Thank you to the Governor and First Lady, our Commission and Foundation, and our stakeholders and partners for making 2019 the year of service in the Sunshine State.”
The group also highlighted its support for 40 AmeriCorps programs during the 2019-20 program year covering 34 counties and containing more than 1,600 members.
The agency supported another 22 nonprofit and service organizations covering that same timespan. Those organizations are expected to recruit more than 8,800 volunteers to serve at least 6,600 volunteer hours.
“The Governor and I believe that volunteering is necessary to strengthening our communities,” First Lady Casey DeSantis added.
“We are thrilled to be able to partner with Volunteer Florida to promote service in Florida and I applaud the agency for the work they have done under CEO Ingram’s leadership.”
Volunteer Florida was set up in 1994 to administer AmeriCorps and other service programs in the state. The organization, which receives over $43 million in federal and state funding, also helps mobilize volunteers in the aftermath of natural disasters.
Since Jan. 2019, those Disaster Case Management Programs provided services to over 26,000 households in 49 counties. The Volunteer Florida Foundation also helped rebuild and repait more than 183 homes in following the strikes of Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Michael.
