There's a guy near Pensacola, Florida named Michael Esmond who's a veteran. And he owns a business now called Gulf Breeze Pools & Spas. So he does pretty well for himself these days. But that wasn't always the case.
Back in the 1980s, he had trouble paying his bills. And he went through one of Florida's coldest winters ever with no heat.
He thought about it while he was paying his utility bills recently, because he noticed the due date on one of them was December 26th. So he wondered how many people out there would be in the same type of situation during the holidays.
And it inspired him to pay off the "past due" amounts for THIRTY-SIX random families he'd never even met.
He spent about $4,600 on it. Each family got a letter that said, quote, "Your past due utility bill has been paid by Gulf Breeze Pools & Spas. You can rest easier this holiday season knowing you have one less bill to pay."
A news station in Pensacola picked up the story. And now a ton of people have reached out to thank him for it. So it might actually bring in more business.
He says the point was just to help people have a less stressful holiday. But he also wants to set an example, and hopes other businesses might follow suit.
(WEAR) (Here are photos of Michael and the letter he sent out.) Image © 2019 GettyImages