Everybody in the Cherry Circle neighborhood in Gloucester Township knows Lamar Harris, a disabled man who has lived there his entire life.
But that is not the only reason why he is well-known in the area. Lamar was the kind of person was always there for everybody. He helps out his neighbors with daily chores, such as picking up the trash or walking the dogs.
Lamar is an adult with special needs who has the mental ability of a preteen. Though he has been nothing but a ray of light to everyone he meets, his personal life has been filled with darkness during the past few years.
His mother died when he was only 8 years old. Four years after, his grandmother followed. Lamar was left with his father and brother until his father’s sudden death in 2015. The following year, his brother also passed away. The disabled man had no one left in his family and had been living alone ever since his brother’s death.
Now, Lamar is in the danger of suffering another loss. According to a legal complaint filed against him, he has incurred so much debt that his house is now at risk of going into foreclosure.
Since he was 15 years old, Lamar has taken on part-time jobs doing menial tasks. However, he has limited reading ability and cannot understand finances. Because of this, Lamar has fallen behind on his property taxes and they haven’t been paid ever since his father passed away.
“I’ve been looking after him for so many years now, he’s like part of my family, and I just can’t let anything happen to him,” said his neighbor Tom Brake.
As it turns out, Tom isn’t the only one looking after Lamar. Upon learning of his housing dilemma, the whole neighborhood decided to help Lamar by setting up a GoFundMe for him with a $50,000 goal. This amount will be used to pay off his debts so he could keep his house.
But Lamar isn’t completely out of trouble yet. He still has to visit the municipal building to settle his taxes and prove that he has a plan going forward to keep paying. Additionally, another $2,000 of taxes are due at the end of the month.
That’s when another kind neighbor came to help. Chris DeStefano, 25, showed up and gave Lamar $3,000 in cash.
“For the last 16 years you’ve done everything for people in this neighborhood. You’ve asked for nothing in return. We love you,” he told Lamar.
It’s beautiful to see an entire community coming together with a common goal – to help a neighbor out. But more than a disabled man and neighbor, the people around Lamar saw him for what he truly is – a friend to everybody.
Watch the video below to learn more about this touching story.