Youngtown meal a miracle for residents

Maureen Moore of Surprise said she has been experiencing miracles since she placed her Bible under the Christmas tree.

"God is so good to me," she said Friday while at New Joy Charter School in Youngtown for the annual Christmas dinner hosted by Parkway Community Church and the Valley View Community Food Bank.

The mother of five, who is attending Kaplan College to be a respiratory therapist, had been recovering from a car accident that occurred on Thanksgiving and was feeling down on her luck and not in the Christmas spirit.

But her mom told her to put her Christmas tree up for the kids, and Moore placed a Bible underneath.

"I said, ‘Lord it’s up to you now,’" Moore said. "And the blesssings began pouring in."

The sister of her son’s high school teacher connected Moore with representatives from Parkway Christian Church, who arranged for transportation for her to attend the dinner. Surprise police delivered dinner and gifts to the family, and more help has come from various sources, including Kaplan College.

"We can’t fit all the presents under the tree, there are so many," she said.

Sherree Fischer, who is in charge of the community ministry of the church, said Moore was one of about 1,000 community members expected to attend the dinner on Christmas Day.

Three hundred volunteers were on staff to assist with cooking and serving, as well as distributing gifts for the children, arts and crafts tables and other activities.

The attendees were invited by the church and food bank, and fliers were distributed throughout Youngtown and El Mirage.

Moore said she wanted to track down Fischer and others with Parkway Community Church at the dinner to give her testimony.

"God keeps knocking on my door every day," she said.