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A Southern California church gave local families a little peace of mind for Christmas this year by wiping out more than $5 million worth of medical debt.

Christian Assembly Church in Eagle Rock, California, said it raised enough money to pay off the medical debt of 5,555 struggling families in the greater Los Angeles area.

"Because of the generosity of the people at Christian Assembly Church, we are able to give a Christmas gift to the people of Los Angeles, no strings attached,'' Tom Hughes, the church's co-pastor, said in a video announcing the plan. He said there are "5,555 people that will benefit" from the gesture and, "they will all be receiving letters in the mail this week."

The church said the debt was paid off by RIP Medical Debt, a nonprofit group that claims it has abolished more than $1 billion in medical debt since its creation in 2014, according to its website. The group specializes in helping organizations purchase debt from medical providers and debt sellers for pennies on the dollar.