Doramise Moreau: The Miami Janitor Who Became a Guardian Angel to Thousands

She’s been called “an angel on earth,” and anyone who’s met her would agree.
At 60 years old, Doramise Moreau, a Haitian-American widow and part-time janitor in Miami, has spent the past several years feeding thousands of people each week—often with little more than her two hands, her faith, and an unwavering heart.

According to Local 10 News, Moreau works as a janitor at Miami Edison Senior High and lives in Little Haiti with her children, grandchildren, and nephew. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck and thousands in her community lost jobs overnight, she refused to stand by and watch people go hungry. Partnering with Notre Dame d’Haiti Catholic Church, she began cooking enormous batches of food—rice, beans, chicken, fish, vegetables—feeding between 1,000 and 1,500 people every Saturday.

Moreau’s journey of compassion began decades before the pandemic. Born and raised in Haiti, she recalled to The Miami Herald that as a little girl she would sneak food from her parents’ kitchen to share with hungry neighbors. “Sometimes, when you look at people’s faces, you don’t need them to ask—you can see they need something,” she said. “My mother would scold me, but I told her, ‘You can punish me today, you can punish me tomorrow, but I’ll keep doing it.’”

That same fierce empathy drives her today. Every Thursday and Friday, Moreau rides the church’s truck—sometimes borrowing it from volunteers—to buy groceries from local markets. She spends hours in the church kitchen chopping, seasoning, and cooking the meals entirely by herself, often staying up late into the night. On Saturdays, the church’s volunteers distribute or deliver the meals to families, the elderly, and people experiencing homelessness (CNN).

“Americans, Spanish, Haitian—everyone comes,” she told reporters. “Even when I’m closing, they ask, ‘Please, can I have some?’ and I can’t say no. If they go home and have nothing to eat, it hurts my heart.”

More Than a Cook — A Community Healer

Father Reginald Jean-Mary, pastor at Notre Dame d’Haiti, says Moreau’s compassion extends far beyond the kitchen. “She takes care of everyone from A to Z,” he told Good Morning America. “She’s a true servant. She doesn’t just cook—she heals. She’s the presence of hope and compassion for others.”

Indeed, Moreau’s kindness seems boundless. During the height of the pandemic, she prepared hot herbal teas and home remedies every morning for church staff, local police officers, and community leaders to help boost their immune systems (Miami Herald). She also continued sending food to family and friends in Haiti every month, even while struggling to make ends meet herself. Years earlier, when the church couldn’t afford janitorial staff, Moreau volunteered to clean it for nearly nothing, simply saying, “The church is my home; if I can help, I will.”

Despite her service, Moreau lives modestly. She doesn’t own a car and often walks or takes the bus to work. “It’s not easy, but God always gives me strength,” she told Local 10. “If you give from your heart and don’t think about yourself, God will always provide. The refrigerator will never be empty.”

A Community Gives Back

Recognizing her selflessness, local leaders nominated Moreau for a special gift. The Martin Luther King Economic Development Corporation purchased her a brand-new Toyota Corolla through a grant, ensuring she’d only pay $125 a month for three years before owning it outright (Local 10 News). The small gesture was a way for the Miami community to honor a woman who had given so much, asking for nothing in return.

When she received the keys, Moreau was moved to tears. “I never expected this,” she said. “I can keep all my money to myself and never give anyone a penny. But I give because it’s who I am. And when you give with love, God gives back tenfold.”

Legacy of Love

Today, Moreau continues to cook weekly for her community, even as the pandemic’s urgency fades. Her meals have become more than nourishment—they’re a source of connection and hope. In a neighborhood where poverty and displacement remain pressing issues, she’s proof that one person’s compassion can ripple across generations.

Her story has inspired thousands online, with social media users calling her “a saint in sneakers” and “Miami’s Mother Teresa.” She shrugs off the praise, insisting that she’s simply doing what her heart tells her to do.

“I don’t do it for glory,” she said. “I do it because when I see people smile, I feel God smiling too.”

Doramise Moreau’s life is a testament to the power of giving without expectation, of quiet heroism that doesn’t seek recognition. In every pot of rice she stirs and every hand she feeds, she reminds the world that kindness is contagious—and that true angels don’t always have wings.

Thank you, Ms. Doramise. Because of you, we all can.