Food or lights.
That was the grim choice Myai Grimes faced last fall. She lost her job because of COVID, she received an eviction notice and Thanksgiving was right around the corner.
And Myai has six children.
“I was trying to figure out how to feed the children and pay my bills,” she explains. “I applied for the Share program and was put on the waiting list.”
Share is the partnership between Peoples Gas, Tampa Electric, the Salvation Army and generous donors that helps customers pay their energy bills. The pandemic has been rough on customers. Peoples Gas and Tampa Electric deferred turning off natural gas or power for six months for non-payment, and they donated $500,000 to the program. Despite that, the funds quickly got used up
Until the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stepped in. The team paid $300 for the utility bill for a family a week for their last six games. And Myai Grimes was one of the lucky recipients. She also received groceries donated by S.O.A.R. First, coordinated by Tampa Electric employee Rebecca Washington.
“It was just a miracle, TECO and the Buccaneers helping,” she says. “The help came in time for Thanksgiving. I avoided eviction and the Share money went to the utility bill, so I could have a Thanksgiving for my children.”
It doesn’t end there. Three other TECO team members heard about Myai and her children and wanted to do more. So Karen Sparkman, Bob Waselewski and Gerri Drummond sponsored two children each for Christmas. Toys, video games, books, games and clothes were delivered to the Grimes’ home one day in December when the children weren’t home. The late Tampa Bay Buccaneer Vincent Jackson, a friend of a TECO employee, topped off the package with a signed jersey and game cleats.
Myai tells the story. “The children were prepared for no Christmas, and when they walked in and saw all the toys and clothes, they were so excited! One of my sons is a big Bucs fan so he was thrilled. My oldest girls wanted to know if we had to pay it back. I told them no, that these were blessings disguised as gifts.”
She continues, “I want my children to do better in life. I don’t let them work, even my 16 and 17-year old girls, so they can focus on school. Those girls were so happy to have new clothes!”
Things are looking up for Myai. She has a job interview. And she says to TECO: “I can’t say thank you enough.”
If you’d like to donate to Share to help your neighbors, visit Peoples Gas for information.
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