Florida man pays utility bills for families in need

GULF BREEZE, Fla. — A Florida enterprise proprietor is spreading vacation cheer throughout a 12 months the place the highs and causes to smile really feel slim for these hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. 

Michael Esmond is right here to assist alleviate a few of these hardships by masking the utility payments of 114 households going through disconnection, based on CNN. 

The information outlet spoke with Esmond, who is aware of what it feels prefer to be down on his luck, about his generosity for the second 12 months working. 

“This 12 months to me most likely is extra significant than final 12 months with the pandemic and all of the folks out of labor having to remain house,” Esmond instructed CNN. “Hurricane Sally slammed us fairly good and harm lots of people. We nonetheless have a whole lot of the blue roofs right here, the place they’re simply coated with tarps.”

In whole, Esmond is claimed to have spent $7,615.40 to assist his group preserve their lights on. 

The key Santa was in a position to greater than triple the variety of households he helped this 12 months from the 36 households he paid it ahead to in 2019.

The 74-year-old small enterprise proprietor pertains to these households as he and his three daughters spent a Christmas in 1983 with out warmth and energy for a similar purpose as these he’s helping– the payments had been simply an excessive amount of.

“I can relate to folks struggling and never with the ability to pay payments,” Esmond defined to CNN. “That is most likely one of many greatest motivators for me as a result of I have been there.”

Esmond was glad to assist the place he might as he says Hurricane Sally “slammed” his group and the sight of blue tarped roofs are nonetheless scattered throughout Gulf Breeze. 

This is to serving to others this vacation season!

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