Moreau told NBC6 South Florida that she has single-handedly cooked 1,000 meals a week since the pandemic began. Her life motto was that if she had something someone needed, she should help them and be a blessing from God.
She lives with her children, nephew and three grandchildren, but cooks in the kitchen of the house Habitat for Humanity built in 2017. Her days are full, and she doesn’t even think to complain. She works part-time as a janitor at a technical school and walks or takes the bus. But her heart’s desire, the reason she gets up every morning, is to feed the hungry.
The Good Samaritan tells how, as a little girl in Haiti, she often took food from her parents’ pantry, such as rice and dried beans, onions or corn cobs, to give to someone in need.
Sometimes when you’re in front of people, they don’t have to ask you, she explained. They see that they need something.
Decades later, Moreau continues to feed the hungry.
She drives the church cart to run errands on Thursdays and Fridays, and cooks in the wee hours for meals on Saturdays. The Notre Dame Catholic Church in Haiti pays for the food by relying on donations. Mr. Moreau prepares the meal himself, while volunteers from the community serve or deliver the meal on site.
Americans, Spaniards, Haitians, they come here, she says. Even if I close, they say: Please give me something and I’ll give it to them, because if they go home and have nothing, I feel bad.
Moreau also gives food to the people in his small village north of Port-au-Prince. Despite her low pay, she sends pallets of food to her sisters and brothers, nieces, nephews and neighbors every month, telling her sister on the phone to bring a bag of rice for this person and a bag of sardines for that person.
She takes care of everyone from A to Z, said Reginald Jean-Marie, pastor of the church. She’s a real servant. It goes beyond work, it is a presence of hope and compassion for others.
A few years ago, when the church could not afford to hire a cleaning crew, Mr. Moreau offered to do so for a small fee. She does it with a happy heart.
And until recently, she did it all without a car.
But last month Moreau was surprised with a new Toyota Corolla with a big red bow. As part of a local anti-poverty initiative, community leaders identify residents known for their community service. The Martin Luther King Economic Development Corporation buys cars in bulk with a subsidy. Moreau pays $125 a month and will own the cars in three years.
With her job as a cleaning lady and all her work at church, people often ask Mrs. Moreau if she is tired. But she says her faith drives her.
I can keep all the money and not give a penny to anyone, she said. But if you give with all your heart and never think of yourself, God will take care of you every day. The fridge will never run out of food.
We welcome you, Miss Moreau. May God continue to preserve and bless you.
