At the frail age of 82 years old, she lugged jugs of water up to her third-floor apartment almost every day for six months.
She couldn’t afford to pay the $130 water bill, so her water was shut off — and she struggled in silence.
Bathing, washing dishes, and staying hydrated turned from chores to challenges. The payments she had to make for her medication prevented her from saving enough money to turn her water back on.
Yet she persisted in silence.
A Council on Aging worker eventually discovered the conditions she was living in when he delivered her medication one day. He contacted a nonprofit organization and explained the situation to them.
They paid her water bill without hesitation, saving her from her plight.
That nonprofit was St. Johns County’s Jimmy Jam Community Outreach, led by St. Augustine natives Tim Gause, 51, and Jeff Gatlin, 49.
The organization’s motto is “Offering a hand up, not a handout,” and that’s exactly what it does through fundraising, community connections, and direct assistance.
Jimmy Jam supports those who are struggling financially, whether it be emergency auto and home repairs, paying basic bills, or buying someone a new pair of glasses.
They also connect people in need to other organizations when they qualify.
Gause describes Jimmy Jam as a safety net for people who were dealt an unfortunate hand after working their hardest to stay afloat.
“You’ve paid all your bills, but you don’t have the extra savings to facilitate an emergency home repair or something like that. So we wanted a lot less red tape than what most other agencies offer. Sometimes if you need help paying your electric bill and you apply to some of the other bigger agencies, it may take up to three weeks before you get the actual payment made to your account,” said Gause.
Jimmy Jam does its best to assist within 24 hours of receiving a request, according to Gause.
In 2025, nearly 25 percent of American households lived paycheck to paycheck, according to Bank of America data. Living paycheck to paycheck is defined by Bank of America as a household’s necessity spending (childcare, groceries, gasoline, etc.) exceeding 95 percent of their income.
Many Americans are one bad day away from needing assistance. Gause even humbly concedes that he and Gatlin are in the same boat as so many of their neighbors.
“It’s scary sometimes because when you think everything’s going perfect and, man, this is the best day in the world, you still don’t know what tomorrow holds,” Gause said.
Without fail, the St. Johns community has stepped up to support Jimmy Jam. Along with a core group of about 10 volunteers, most of whom have full-time jobs, multiple local businesses have contributed to the nonprofit’s work.
Steelhead Plumbing, Oldham’s Automotive, and Atlantic Automotive offer discounted services to people seeking assistance through Jimmy Jam, while B & S Signs provides the signage for their events.
The main sponsor of Jimmy Jam’s events is local builder and philanthropist Chris Shee and the Shee Family. Jimmy Jam wouldn’t be where it is today without their contributions, Gause said.
The organization’s philanthropic efforts are primarily funded through hosting what they tout as “the biggest barbecue tasting event in Northeast Florida,” their annual Jimmy Jam Barbecue Slam at the St. Johns County Fairgrounds.
The 10th annual Slam took place on Jan. 10 of this year and raised over $70,000. The event featured 65 barbecue teams from all over the country competing for the coveted first-place trophy, along with over 100 hot rod cars.
The name Jimmy Jam and the cars-and-barbecue theme speak to the event’s origins.
The nonprofit is named after Gause and Gatlin’s late friend, James “Jimmy Jam” Wray, a man who loved smoked pig butts and classic rides.
Wray ran the Betty Griffin House thrift store and was known for paying for customers’ items when they were unable to afford them.
Gause and Gatlin hosted their first barbecue tasting event in the spring of 2014 to fundraise for Wray, who was suffering from cancer and mounting medical expenses.
The event raised $500.
“You know, it wasn’t to pay doctor bills with. He was at the end of his illness. This was just to make him as comfortable as he could be,” said Gause.
Wray died on Dec. 2, 2015, but his legacy of generosity and compassion lives on.
Gause and Gatlin hosted their next barbecue fundraiser in Sept. 2014 after being approached by a member of the community whose mother was struggling with cancer. The event raised over $2,000.
The two men soon realized the operation’s potential, so they started recruiting friends to help.
After assembling a dedicated group of volunteers, Gatlin decided it was time to register their efforts as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. This allowed the group to approach the sponsors that they have to this day, such as Shee.
Jimmy Jam Community Outreach held its first official Barbecue Slam in 2016. The event featured nine barbecue teams and a few cars.
But since those humble beginnings, Jimmy Jam has been featured on the Food Network’s BBQ USA show and has become a symbol of community compassion.
Over the years, the nonprofit has assisted more than 450 individuals in need, including Sarah Felker.
She shared her moving story in a video posted to Facebook on Jan. 12.
“Why not share a personal story? That is what makes the impact, putting a name to a face and an experience to a person. That’s tangible and real — that makes an impact,” Felker told the Citizen in an interview.
In the video, Felker says that her father, who has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, needed to replace his specialized broken walker, which can cost up to $700.
“I kind of panicked a little when we found out he needed a new one. That is his accessibility,” Felker said in the video.
Felker said that Jimmy Jam purchased a brand new walker for her father, drawing tears of gratitude and relief.
“Because of Jimmy Jam, they have given that gift of accessibility to him in order to enjoy life with his grandson, and that means the world to us,” she states in the video, followed by footage of her father using the new walker while her son hitches a ride.
What started as two buddies smoking pork butts for a friend in need has evolved into a pillar of the St. Johns community — a testament to the fact that love still exists in an increasingly cold world.
