JOY TO THE WORLD

Florida Man Pays Off 114 Families’ Utility Bills for Christmas

Michael Esmond donated $7,615.40 to pay for the past-due bills, according to CNN, with some families unable to pay outstanding fees of less than $100.

Last Christmas, Florida businessman Michael Esmond paid off the utility bills of 36 households in his local community of Gulf Breeze. This year, after the twin catastrophes of Hurricane Sally and the coronavirus pandemic, he went a step further—and paid off the bills of 114 families who were facing imminent disconnection. Esmond donated $7,615.40 to pay for the past-due bills, according to CNN, with some families unable to pay outstanding dues of less than $100. “That really impacted me—that people can’t even afford to pay a $100 bill on their utilities and things are so bad,” he said. “That’s why I was able to pay for 114 families.” The good news will be delivered to families in holiday cards this week.