With help from nonprofit, Valley church giving some families a holiday miracle
PHOENIX - A Valley church is getting into the holiday spirit by helping some families start their Christmas morning with a huge weight lifted off their shoulders.
Compass Christian Church is taking the phrase "Christmas Come Early," to a new level. They aren't just handing out toys for kids, as the congregation is giving back in a huge way to the people that need it the most.
The church’s Chandler and Casa Grande locations surprised families in need on Tuesday by paying off their medical debt.
"These people are low-income families in our area. We know they're in our community. They have been drowning in medical debt, and they expect the next call is always going to be the collector, and they paid all that they can pay," said Brian Jobe, Senior Pastor with Compass Christian Church.
The church teamed up with a non-profit organization called RIP Medical Debt for the cause, with the non-profit matching every dollar given to them by paying off $100 in medical bills for someone in need. That came out to $5.4 million's worth of medical aid, paid to the people that are nearing the end of their financial rope.
"Imagine you wake up sometime around Christmas, maybe the first of the year for new year's, and you go to your mailbox and you get a letter that says your medical debt has been paid," said Jobe.
Jobe said the church wanted to do something significant this Christmas to show the community how much they care.
"To have somebody say your medical debt is paid is like a Christmas miracle, and we thought that's something that would show the love of Jesus in a tangible way even to people we don’t know," said Jobe.
RIP Medical Debt