Manatee nonprofit raises money to help Texas flood victims

MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — There are several ways to help victims in Texas, including by going through local nonprofits who are passing along aid.

A Manatee County resident is on a mission to provide support to families and first responders in the flood-affected communities.

Betsy Plante, who created The Blessing Bags Project, says each day is a blessing. For her, the biggest blessing is helping others.

“God put that passion in my heart to really look out for other people, that nobody else wants to care for, so that’s how it all got started,” she said.

She co-started her nonprofit 15 years ago.

“We provide basic critical needs to the homeless and less fortunate. We do a lot of other things. I help women and men in recovery, people getting out of prison,” she said.

And she’s supported the community over the years, including raising more than $150,000 after last year’s hurricanes.

Recently, she’s continued helping by serving food. But her support goes beyond Manatee County. Earlier this week, Plante started a fundraiser to help Texas flood victims.

“I was heartbroken. I think I was numb,” she said.

It’s linked to her Facebook and her nonprofit’s website, where people can click on the donate button. She says the money goes directly to Mercy Chefs, a faith-based nonprofit.

“They use that money to provide supplies and food,” she said. “And the thing with Mercy Chefs is they’re going to feed the people. They’re going to feed the families and everything, but they take care of first responders.”

She says collecting money is a faster way of helping than collecting supplies.

So far, she’s raised more than $5,000.

“And we are going to keep on going,” she said.