A neighbor – In Los Angeles, Julissa Gomez met her older neighbor Delmar in 2015 and helped turn Sunday visits into a lasting family bond. After her father’s death in 2020, she and her husband took over caring for Delmar, who is now 87, supporting his medical needs and cel
The first time Delmar came over after Julissa Gomez’s family moved into a Los Angeles house next door, he didn’t arrive empty-handed. He brought newspaper cutouts of comic strips—his quick, neighborly way of welcoming them and letting them know he was “right next door” if they needed anything.
For years, that gesture became something more than a greeting. Delmar was known in the neighborhood. but Julissa says her family was the first to pull him into their own routines. They started taking him to church on Sundays and going out to lunch afterward. with her mom and dad always paying. Holidays and birthdays soon followed. after they invited him into their home and noticed they weren’t doing much on those days until Delmar’s presence became part of the plan. Once they learned his birthday, they made sure to celebrate it every year.
Julissa was 18 when she met Delmar. so much of her early time with him ran alongside what her parents set in motion. Her parents initiated contact, and they paid—yet the lesson she remembers most clearly wasn’t about money. It was about love for a neighbor. and what it looks like when someone takes an elderly person’s closeness seriously.
Then her father died in 2020, and the rhythm changed.
After that loss, Julissa and her boyfriend—now her husband—took over visiting and caring for Delmar. The Sundays still continued. So did the special days. But the daily check-ins became more practical: asking if Delmar needed groceries. if he needed prescriptions filled. or if he wanted a ride to his doctor’s appointments.
Delmar rarely asks for anything, Julissa said, so her family often repeats to him that they’re happy to help. What stays constant, she adds, is how grateful he is. “None of Delmar’s family live close by. ” she says. and that distance is what makes their bond feel like a trade in both directions—Delmar becoming part of their family life. and them becoming his.
Julissa says she feels no resentment in the work of taking care of him. Instead, she frames it as personal fulfillment—something she finds in loving her neighbor and spreading kindness. She points to a larger reality she sees around her: many lonely older people simply want a friendly face to talk to. someone to break up the day with conversation. someone to help them feel human.
Even on small moments, that appreciation shows up. When Julissa visits and gets ready to leave, Delmar often tells her that his parrot, Cappy, doesn’t want her to go. Julissa laughs and tells him she knows Delmar doesn’t want her to leave either. The affection, she says, melts her heart.
The friendship didn’t stay only in their living room. Last year, Julissa and Delmar started posting videos on social media together. Many people reached out, telling them the story inspired them to connect with their neighbors. That response pushed them to think bigger—especially for children.
The pair decided to write a children’s book together. “The Friendship Next Door with Delmar.” Julissa describes the writing process as fun. a way of going down memory lane and revisiting the moments they’ve shared since they first met. The goal of the book. she says. is to inspire kindness. respect for neighbors and elders. and better behavior overall—especially at an age when those ideas can take root. In a culture where people often don’t even know their neighbors. she says they wanted to change the starting point.
Today, family logistics shape their plans as much as their values do. Julissa and her husband still live with her mom, who is disabled and needs help. Delmar also needs help, and he is now 87. Julissa says it’s important for them to stay close so they can continue caring for both her mom and Delmar. That’s part of why they are currently looking to buy a house in the same neighborhood.
Julissa has also told Delmar something she’s already prepared herself to put into action. If he could no longer live independently, he would be welcome to live with her and her husband. They would help take care of him if he were no longer able to care for himself. “It’s what family does,” she says.
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