Give Back With JEA's Neighbor to Neighbor Fund

Founded in 1987, JEA’s Neighbor to Neighbor Fund is a way for customers and employees to provide temporary assistance to customers unable to pay their utility bill during a financial crisis. The Neighbor to Neighbor Fund helps elderly, disabled, and those less fortunate keep the lights on and water running.

Contribute With Your Monthly JEA Bill

Make a monthly donation commitment today and help light it forward.

• Every dollar counts. Each year, over 550 families are able to maintain utility services as a result of Neighbor to Neighbor. 
• Each customer contribution goes directly to people in need. No expenses are deducted by JEA or the United Way.
• Every donation is tax-deductible.

Sign In to Donate

If you don't have a jea.com account, register for one now. You can also sign up for Neighbor to Neighbor by calling (904) 665-6000.

Recognizing Local Agencies: JEA's Light It Forward Award

Each year, local agencies provide financial assistance in utility bill assistance to JEA customers in need. To recognize the people behind the scenes who make this happen, JEA created the Light it Forward Award. It honors local agency employees who go above and beyond to help low-income households.

2021 Light It Forward Award Winners

Stewart Miller, Steps 2 Success Career Coach for Lutheran Social Services

In his role as a career coach for LSS’s Steps 2 Success program, Stewart helps clients increase net income, reduce debt, build credit and, ultimately, achieve their dreams! To his clients, he is more than a coach, but also a cheerleader and mentor. When Gwennette entered the program, she was unemployed and living in her car. She remembers one time she felt so hopeless and defeated, she called Stewart from her car crying. She said his warmth, compassion and encouragement were what she needed to keep going. Now, she is employed, has her own apartment (and utilities!) and is continuing her education. Many other S2S clients have similar stories, and also credit their success to Stewart’s support. First and foremost, S2S is about helping each client obtain self-sufficiency by achieving their unique goals. When individuals become financially stable, however, they contribute by paying taxes, pay their utility and other bills on time, become stably housed and support local businesses. Essentially, the whole community thrives. 

Timekod Sims, Outreach Specialist for the City of Jacksonville’s Military and Veterans Affairs Department

Timekod Sims has worked for the City of Jacksonville for close to 20 years. Timekod assists Veterans in avoiding eviction or utility cutoff. As a spouse of a Military veteran, Ms. Sims said she handles over 850 cases a year and can tell many stories of Veterans who have received life-changing assistance after they came to the office at City Hall. One story about a Veteran family that consisted of a mother and her four children stands out in particular. The mother came to the office right before Christmas and Ms. Sims was about to leave for her vacation. This family was homeless and was sleeping in their car. Timekod was able to provide the family with clothes from the city’s clothes closet, get them gift certificates for food and was able to work with The Villages and HVRP to get this family a roof over their head. HVRP helped the mother find employment and the Villages, although it was after hours, worked with Ms. Sims to get this family a place to stay. The family was able to get to the Villages courtesy of JSO who gave them a police escort. Due to Ms. Sims selfless work, she was able to make sure this family had a roof over their head, food in their kitchen, and was instrumental in helping the mother find a job.

Veronica Matthews, Benefits Enrollment Center Coordinator for ElderSource

According to Feeding America, one in 14 seniors face hunger putting them at risk for chronic health conditions like diabetes and high blood pressures and mental health issues like depression. In addition, there are seniors who struggle to pay for their Medicare premiums. Veronica Matthews, the ElderSource Benefits Enrollment Center Coordinator assists seniors with their SNAP application and Medicare Savings Program applications. This process requires tremendous attention to detail and patience. Pre-COVID, Veronica participated in Senior Day at JEA, working onsite to assist seniors with applications. Once the COVID lockdown was in place, Veronica’s ability to meet face-to-face with JEA seniors ended. Luckily, Veronica did not give up. With her compassion and commitment, she continues to assist approximately 90 to 100 seniors a month, representing on average the potential impact of $100,000 in cumulative benefit savings each month. Each client’s circumstance and reason as to why they call for assistance is often heartbreaking and complex. For example, one client seeking help was disabled, non-English speaking, and without transportation or a computer. There were many barriers preventing her from securing help. With great patience and diligence, Veronica connected her to resources. The client was so thankful she called multiple times just to express her gratitude. These kinds of situations occur every day in the world in which Veronica works. She hears their stories and is always thinking of ways to assist seniors, preserving their independence and dignity.

Learn About Previous Award Winners