Woman Surprises Elderly Neighbor with Visits, Ice Cream Runs (Exclusive)

• Julissa Gomez first met Delmar Harter in 2015 when she and her household moved into their new house in California
• Since then, Gomez has change into quick pals with Harter, now 85. She and her household at all times invite him to exit to eat, attend church with them and are available to their birthday events
• Early on of their friendship, Gomez realized that Harter cherished ice cream and meals. So, she and her household would invite Harter on spontaneous ice cream runs
• Last yr, Gomez began posting movies on TikTookay of ice cream runs with Harter, together with different significant moments they’ve shared. To her shock, lots of the movies went viral

Julissa Gomez first met Delmar Harter in 2015 when she and her household moved into their new house in California. The retired machinist, who lived subsequent door, got here as much as the household’s entrance door with a giant smile and handed them a cut-out newspaper joke, saying, “I thought you could use a laugh,” Gomez, 27, remembers.

Since that day, Gomez has change into quick pals with Harter, now 85. She and her household at all times invite him to exit to eat, attend church with them and are available to their birthday events. And Harter has by no means declined an invite.

“Delmar’s heat and humor made it simple to bond with him, and earlier than we knew it, he was part of our household,” Gomez, an enrollment counselor, tells PEOPLE solely. “We instantly adopted him as certainly one of our personal, and through the years, he’s been a continuing supply of pleasure, at all times looking for us along with his considerate gestures and hilarious jokes.”

Early on of their friendship, Gomez realized that Harter cherished ice cream and meals. It grew to become a routine for the household and Harter to go to church on Sundays after which head to Denny’s or certainly one of their native favourite eating places. But in the course of the week, at any time when Gomez and her household have been craving ice cream, they’d simply stroll subsequent door and ask Harter if he wished something, thus starting their ice cream runs.

“Our first ice cream run was on New Year’s Day,” Gomez says. “I remember my family and I were just home because we have a dog named Rambo, and we like to keep him inside during the fireworks. We asked Delmar if he had any plans, and he said no, so we brought him over and started playing the game Trivial Pursuit, his favorite game.”

“We were all craving a sweet treat, so we drove to Baskin-Robbins, picked up some ice cream, and took it back home to eat and play the rest of the game,” she provides, noting that Delmar doesn’t prefer to ask for something and could be very humble.

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For the chums, a typical ice cream run is at all times spontaneous, often beginning with Gomez and her household calling Harter and asking if he’s craving ice cream. Typically, he says sure, they usually inform him to be prepared in 20 minutes or so. They stroll over to his home and information him to their automotive.

Once Harter is within the automotive, they discuss their days and snort as a result of he at all times tells the funniest jokes, Gomez says. Then, they’ll arrive on the ice cream store, often Baskin-Robbins, the place Gomez says her favourite taste is Cookie Monster. Harter rotates between his three go-to flavors: Cherry, Strawberry and Mint — with out the chocolate chips.

“We at all times pay; Delmar has by no means spent a dime, and that’s the best way we prefer it,” she provides. “Helping others, whether or not by easy acts of kindness like this ice cream run or extra important gestures, is a part of dwelling out our religion.”

“After ice cream, we both sit within the automotive and speak or eat at Delmar’s home and watch some TV with him,” she provides. “We discuss his recollections and experiences. When he was youthful, he traveled throughout the United States along with his father and climbed mountains.”

Last yr, Gomez began posting movies on TikTookay of ice cream runs with Harter, together with different significant moments they’ve shared. To her shock, lots of the movies went viral.

One video Gomez shared of Harter sitting and watching motion pictures at her home went viral, garnering greater than 20.5 million views and 36,000 feedback. Another video, which amassed greater than 384,000 views, captured Harter with Gomez and her household on an ice cream run to Baskin-Robbins. “This is all the things!” the ice cream franchise commented on the submit.

“I used to be shocked when Delmar went viral as a result of I had posted about him a number of occasions earlier than,” Gomez tells PEOPLE. “We are so very grateful for this chance as a result of now everybody loves Delmar as a lot as we do, and we get to lift consciousness concerning the significance of serving to aged individuals.”

“All the feedback have been extremely candy and supportive,” she provides. “What actually stood out to me have been the individuals who talked about understanding aged people of their neighborhoods. After watching our video, they felt impressed to succeed in out and provide assist in any approach they might.”

Gomez provides that when she instructed Harter he had gone viral, he was overwhelmed with gratitude and amazement.

“He by no means anticipated such an outpouring of affection from so many individuals, and the truth that they need to ship him presents has left him completely speechless,” she says. “It’s extremely heartwarming for him to know that so many individuals care and need to present their appreciation in such considerate methods.”

“With all of the superb help we’ve gotten on TikTookay, we’re now in a position to take Delmar to Disneyland. It’s been unimaginable to see the love and help from everybody, and we’re going to verify to maintain stunning him with extra particular moments.”

While Gomez and her household have had a lot enjoyable stunning Harter with ice cream runs and little acts of kindness, they’re hoping to assist him much more. Gomez says her household lately arrange a GoFundMe for his medical bills.

As for his or her subsequent journey, Gomez is happy to deliver their story to mild by a kids’s ebook known as The Friendship Next Door with Delmar, which is able to element how they met, there adventures and all of the shock dates they’ve had collectively.

“My friendship with Delmar means the world to me. We’ve identified one another for 10 years now, and in that point, we have constructed a bond that goes past simply being pals — we’re household,” she says. “One of the issues I actually worth about our friendship is understanding that if Delmar ever wants assist sooner or later, we’ll be there to handle him — similar to he’s at all times had my again.”

“It’s about being a stable help system for one another, now and at all times,” she continues. “If he ever wants something sooner or later, we’ll be there to guard and take care of him similar to household would. That’s what true friendship is all about.”