A new organization in Plant City is ensuring the community always has a champion searching for those in need and rallying locals together to lend a helping hand.
Michelle Valdes, president of Operation Paying It Forward, grew up watching her mother work tirelessly at two jobs and then turn around and cook mounds of food for Metropolitan Ministries. In 2005, Valdes said her life changed for good. Her mother died from cancer, sending her into a spiraling depression and Valdes struggled to find a way out.
“The therapists were telling me that I was in a crisis, that I needed to focus on me, but I knew I needed to do something like my mom,” Valdes said. “So I started doing random acts of kindness. That was about 2009. Sometimes it was just buying someone a tank of gas or covering their grocery bill. By 2010 I was starting to come out of my shell. It all grew from there.”
Though she remained relatively anonymous, word began to spread of her mission toward
completing random acts of kindness. In 2011 she realized just how impactful this lifestyle could be.
Valdes spent much of her free time at a local racetrack, zooming in her car around the track and socializing with some regular attendees. She noticed a little boy in a wheelchair who rarely missed a race. His parents would push him through the thick clay toward the track so he could watch the cars compete for a finishing spot. One day her car was pushed into the wall and when it finally came to a stop she jumped out, ready to unleash her frustrations. When she took off her helmet she made direct eye contact with the young boy, whose parents had brought him over toward the wreck.
“He looked right at me, I felt like he could see right through me,” Valdes said. “Then I got a crazy idea. I called the track photographer and some other racers and volunteers and said I wanted to get that kid a power chair. We started asking around and working and we finally got one. It was used, but we took it back to my shop and fixed it up. We got it reupholstered and put decals on it. It looked awesome.”
Valdes called the father of the boy and, knowing he worked with electric, asked him to come check out an outlet at the shop. She asked he bring his son so he could check out her race car while his dad worked. He and his parents stood outside the bay doors expecting to just walk in to a normal shop.
When the doors slid open they broke into tears when they saw the customized chair. He still uses it to this day.
That was all it took for Valdes to know this was her calling.
Since then she’s completed at least one major act of kindness every year, like a toy drive, food drive and special ceremonies for Plant City Police Department. She also continues the random acts of kindness. If there’s a need in the community Valdes is there within hours to lend a helping hand.
The community started to join Valdes on all of her “crazy adventures” and she decided it was time to make it official. This year she started a 501(c) 3 non-profit called Operation Paying It Forward and invited some of her most dedicated community partners to join her on the board.
In 2018 the group chose three different recipients to highlight. They provided 616 pounds of turkeys for the United Food Bank of Plant City and showed their appreciation to the Plant City Fire Department in a special ceremony. During the ceremony, they also invited a little boy named Braeden to the event.
Braeden had been struggling with cancer and when Operation Paying It Forward selected him as their hero to honor they were told he was in remission.
They combed through his wish list and bought everything his heart desired. Moments before
Valdes went to give her speech in his honor at the ceremony she was approached by one of Braeden’s family members.
The cancer was back. Braeden would soon be headed under the knife for a second time.
In honor of Braeden and her mother, Valdes is raising money to help with Braeden’s bills. In January Valdes will take the stakes to a whole new level as she participates in “Going Bald For A Cause.”
Whether that money goes toward gas cards, paying for hotel stays for the family or toward his actual medical bills, she said she hopes to lessen the stress that is inevitable when dealing with such a life-altering diagnosis. On Jan. 24 Valdes will shave her head while streaming live in honor of all of those affected by cancer.
The community is rallying behind Operation Paying It Forward and its reach is only continuing to grow. The group is hosting a Network for a Cause event at Wishing Well Barn on Feb. 1 to get to know the needs of the community better and to introduce people to the organization.
The organization is also hosting a massive shoe drive and it will be accepting nominations next year for future recipients of the group.
“Our goal is just to continue to help the community,” Valdes said. “Plant City is home, it’s where we want to give back. If anybody needs help they know to call me. They know to call our board members. We’re all heavily involved. And I’ve seen it in the community, people are paying it forward. People are taking care of each other.”