FORT PIERCE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Framework for Freedom Budget for Fiscal Year 2023–24 on June 15, which totals $116.5 billion for the people of Florida. The Framework for Freedom Budget includes a record $2.7 billion tax relief package to help Florida families during a time of high inflation caused by reckless federal spending. Additionally, the Governor highlighted record investments in Florida’s environment and natural resources which are a cornerstone of Florida’s thriving economy, including a record $1.6 billion investment in Everglades restoration and water quality projects. The Governor championed and secured the Debt Reduction Program that will immediately reduce Florida’s debt by approximately $400 million, saving an estimated $31 million and accelerating debt reduction while Washington, D.C. continues to grow the national debt. Florida maintains healthy reserves at the end of the fiscal year, totaling more than $15.3 billion.
“Florida’s Veteran community is very appreciative of Governor DeSantis’ unwavering support of our 1.5 million Veterans, their families, and survivors,” said retired Marine Corps Major General James S. “Hammer” Hartsell, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs. “With the full support of the Florida Legislature, the budget enhances our ability to provide first-class health care and benefit services to our Veterans and their families. The Sunshine State continues to be the most Veteran sought after state in the nation.”
The Framework for Freedom Budget invests an additional $6 million for medical and non-medical equipment upgrades, capital improvements, and increased staffing for the State Veterans’ Nursing Homes. The budget also includes funds to begin planning for the construction of the ninth State Veterans’ Nursing Home in Collier County. The budget also continues a $2 million investment to assist veterans in securing meaningful skills-based employment, provide employers a skilled talent pipeline and to assist veterans in creating and operating a small business.
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TALLAHASSEE - Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that the Florida Hometown Heroes program has provided $100 million in down payment and closing cost assistance to help Florida’s hometown workers purchase homes in the communities they serve. Governor DeSantis announced the launch of Hometown Heroes in June 2022, and since then the program has helped 6,753 Veterans, active-duty military members, nurses, teachers, and law enforcement officers purchase homes for their families. To read more, click here.
TALLAHASSEE – Gov. Ron DeSantis announced June 12 more than $6.1 million in awards to military communities through the Defense Infrastructure Grant Program, the Defense Reinvestment Grant Program, and the Florida Defense Support Task Force Grant Program. Through the collaborative efforts of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and Enterprise Florida Inc., these programs provide grants to military communities to support infrastructure projects, economic diversification efforts, and military community relations. For more information, visit bit.ly/430sGw8
FDVA Executive Director James S. “Hammer” Hartsell welcomed over 200 participants at the Women Veterans Conference located at Brownwood Hotel and Spa in The Villages, June 25. They discussed education, healthcare, employment, and other earned benefits offered to women veterans. To read more on Florida’s 164,000 Women Veterans, click here.
The 2023 edition of the Florida Veterans' Benefits Guides is now available in a second run of 75,000 copies, courtesy of the Florida Veterans Foundation. Click here to view their website. The full-color guides are a valuable tool, providing essential information on various benefits and services available to our Florida Veterans. To order or view the 2023 Florida Veterans’ Benefit Guide, visit https://floridavets.org/resources/va-benefits-guide/
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — First Lady Casey DeSantis, in collaboration with Florida’s Department of Children and Families (DCF) and Florida’s Department of Veterans' Affairs (FDVA), celebrated the one-year anniversary of her Continue the Mission initiative. Continue the Mission actively recruits veterans, military spouses, and former law enforcement officers to be child and adult protective investigators and case managers, as well as mentors to children in need, new case managers, and child and adult protective investigators. Since the launch, DCF has participated in over 100 career fair events and nearly 100 qualified candidates have been hired.
“Through this innovative initiative to recruit more Veterans as child protective investigators, the Governor and First Lady have found an avenue for those who are driven to continue to serve by helping protect our youth on the home front,” said Retired Marine Corps Major General James S. “Hammer” Hartsell, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs. “Their focus on ensuring Florida is the most veteran-friendly state in the nation is unparalleled. I’m proud of our recruitment achievements and look forward to the number of Veterans involved in this great initiative continuing to grow.” To read more, click here.
More than 100 community members attended a graveside service with full military honors on June 10, 2023 at Evergreen Cemetery in Jasper, Fla. to honor a missing Korean War Soldier. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced earlier this year that U.S. Army Cpl. Alton Christie, 18, of Jasper, killed in 1950 during the Korean War, was accounted for on July 28, 2022. Surviving family includes a brother, Claude Christie of Pensacola, Fla. and a sister, Shirley Lindsey of Jasper, along with numerous nieces and nephews. Photo courtesy of the Lake City Reporter.
Evelyn Brady, Navy Veteran and mother of three, had her world turned upside down in 2019. She’s now championing efforts to bring awareness to those who, like her, carry the title of Gold Star Family. Brady is second from left in the photo above, standing with women from the American Gold Star Mothers Tampa Bay Chapter and CDCE representative Ron Messner at an informational table for Veterans at Bay Pines VA. To read more, click here.
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Carmelo Mora, a Tampa-based Veterans’ Claims Examiner with the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs, presents a copy of the Florida Veterans’ Benefits Guide to a transitioning servicemember during the annual Veterans Florida Expo, June 10. The annual Expo, hosted this year at Hilton Tampa Airport Westshore, connected Veterans, transitioning servicemembers, and their families to Florida’s solutions to transition and professional challenges.
If you served in the Vietnam, Gulf War, or Post-9/11 eras, you may be eligible for expanded VA benefits under a new law, known as The PACT Act. Visit http://va.gov/PACT or call 1-800-MY-VA-411 to learn more. For assistance, you may contact one of our Florida-based Veterans' Claims Examiners at (727) 319-7440 or via email at FDVA.VSO@fdva.fl.gov.
Serve our nation’s heroes by joining our team today. With a recent pay raise for all state employees and a new competitive pay structure with sign-on bonuses for our direct care staff, working in one of Florida’s nine state veterans’ homes can be rewarding. Click on the graphic above to visit our position openings or visit https://bit.ly/3AuWCED.
The Florida Veterans Foundation extends its heartfelt gratitude to those who have contributed to supporting Florida Veterans by purchasing a Gadsden Flag license plate. Through the sales of these distinctive plates, the foundation raises funds that help provide essential programs, services, and outreach materials. With each purchase, supporters display their solidarity with Veterans and actively participate in improving their well-being and honoring their sacrifices. Get your plate today at: https://www.helpflvets.org/gadsden-plate.
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