Florida Man Saves the Day, Pays Off Past Dues of 114 Families Struggling Amid the Pandemic

By Neil P. First Posted: Dec 11, 2020 08:02 AM EST

(Photo : Unsplash/Nathan Dumlao)
A Florida man man paid thousands of dollars to help 114 households whose utility bills are about to be disconnected.

The global pandemic has negatively impacted millions of families across the country. This led millions of individuals being furloughed and laid-off from their jobs. Due to the economic crisis, many families were not able to pay their utility bills. But this man in Florida made a great change by offering help to some of the struggling families.

Michael Esmond, a business owner from Gulf Breeze in Florida, donated thousands of dollars to 114 households whose utility bills are about to be disconnected, according to CNN News. This is not the first time that Esmond did a philanthropic act in the city.

Residents to receive early Christmas gift

The Florida man donated $7,615.40 to pay for the past-due bills of 114 households. Joanne Oliver, the city's utility billing supervisor, confirmed this and said that holiday cards will be sent through this week notifying the lucky residents that their utility bills are already paid.

Esmond's generosity started last year when he paid the utility bills of 36 households in his community in Gulf Breeze. This year, he thought to increase his donation because of Hurricane Sally and the negative effect of the global pandemic.

The Florida man's donation has increased from the $4,600 which he paid last year. He said that he was able to help this time about three times as many households. Esmond explained that this is because there were many residents who had bills due of $100 or less.

He experienced the same fate before

Esmond is the owner of Gulf Breeze Pools and Spas and he admitted that his business was running well this year even amid the pandemic. He also asserted that this is something he's "almost ashamed" to tell people because he knows how hard it's been for many.

The philanthropic act of Esmond was not only because his business was running well so far this year but it is because he also experienced where his utilities were shut off. He knew how hard it is not to have proper utilities this time.

Esmond shared, "I have been down on my luck like people are today, where I had trouble paying bills and raising three daughters. he gas company shut the gas off and we didn't have any heat."

He also added that it was the coldest winter he has ever experienced in the area with temperatures in single digits.

"I can relate to people suffering and not being able to pay bills. That's probably one of the biggest motivators for me, because I've been there. People can't afford to pay their bills and put food on the table, so I hope doing my part and paying some bills for these folks takes a little bit of stress off of them around Christmas time."