For people in poor health or desperate financial situations – or both – the holiday season can be a dark time. That’s why a group of Tampa Electric team members who wanted to help customers in need came up with a grassroots program they call Shine the Light.
The effort began a few years ago after a series of interactions with customers by TECO field representatives – often times the very representatives who go to customers’ homes and turn off their power for non-payment, as required by law.
“Shine the Light isn’t a formal program, but rather the result of stories about customers that TECO team members on the front lines hear about,” said Ray Kazmierski, supervisor of Field Operations. “We would learn about somebody going through a really tough time and we knew we couldn’t help everybody, but we wanted to make a difference somehow. We’re part of this community too – Shine the Light is about pitching in to try to make the holidays better for someone in need.”
This year, the Shine the Light group collected a total of $300 from TECO team members in Field Operations, Substation Operations, Meter Operations and the Ybor Customer Care Contact Center. Their goal was to collect enough money to pay the past-due electric bill for a customer who had lost power for non-payment.
“After reviewing the stories of various customers, we identified a disabled war veteran and his wife who had been diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma cancer in Polk County,” Kazmierski said, praising the work of fellow Shine the Light committee members Steve Garren, Gordon Hudson and Rolando Lastra.
“Our top priority is to protect customers’ privacy, and what we learned about this couple came directly from what they shared personally with [Meter Worker] Garrett Walker when he had to go to the customers’ home to shut off power for non-payment,” Kazmierski said. “The man knew Garrett had a job to do, but his dire situation really resonated with all of us.”
And so before Christmas, with a receipt from Amscot that showed the customers’ electric bill paid in full, Kazmierski and Walker went to the customers’ home to share the good news.
“The customer was very thankful that someone cared,” Kazmierski said. “That’s just the kind of company this is – one I’m proud to work for. We can imagine how it might feel to be in a dark spot. People at TECO really want to make a difference and Shine the Light is one of many ways they can and do.”
Another way to make a difference
Another way TECO team members and you can make a difference is though the Tampa Electric Share program.
Co-sponsored by Tampa Electric and the Salvation Army, Share lets you help customers in need in your area pay their electric bills. As a Tampa Electric customer, you may make a voluntary, tax deductible contribution with your monthly electric bill payment. Submit your request online to contribute a monthly Share donation that will be included on your residential electric bill or business electric bill.
Every dollar you donate goes directly to helping a neighbor in need. No portion of your contribution is used for fundraising or administrative costs. For every contribution made, Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas will increase the impact by matching dollar-for-dollar, up to a combined $500,000 a year.
If you need help
Tampa Electric Share funds help pay for basic home energy expenses. Eligibility is determined by the Salvation Army. To determine if you qualify to receive assistance as a Share recipient, call (813) 226-0055. For additional assistance, you can contact the Florida 211 Network by calling 2-1-1.
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