85-Year-Old Man Goes Door To Door Inviting Neighbors To His 'Celebration Of Winter' Party
Sometimes all it takes to find community is a willingness to make the first move.
aastock | Shutterstock Especially given the tough times we're in, many of us are searching for a feeling of community these days. An elderly Pennsylvania man has gone viral for the way he's doing just that for his neighbors, and making new friends in the process.
An 85-year-old man named Doug went door-to-door inviting his neighbors to his 'celebration of winter' party.
It all began when Michelle Hernandez of Bucks County, Pennsylvania shared a video, taken by her Ring doorbell camera, of her "adorable" neighbor Doug, climbing her front steps with his cane, a stack of papers in the pocket of his coat.
"Hi, I'm Doug across the street over here," he said when Hernandez opened the door. "This is an invite to a party on February 15th. I didn’t want to leave it in the mailbox.”
Doug's neighbor was touched by his invitation — and soon so was the entire community.
Hernandez was so endeared by Doug's "Celebration of Winter" invitation that she posted the invitation in a follow-up TikTok. "Today I'm just sitting on the couch and I hear our doorbell ring, and I'm like, what the heck?"
She was surprised to find Doug there with his hand-drawn invitations, and even more endeared when she read it. "It says, 'A Celebration of Winter, February 15th, 4 p.m. until the cops arrive,'" she read. "Until the cops arrive. He's literally 85!" she added with a laugh.
Her videos quickly went viral, with people all over the world just as touched by Doug's reaching out as Hernandez was. A local bakery, Lochel's, soon offered to supply a lavish cake for Doug's shindig, while others asked Hernandez to set up a PO Box for Doug so they could send him gifts, cards, and well wishes. "Let's make his 2025!" one commenter wrote.
Another had an even better idea though. "Please contact your local police department and have them swing by a few hours in," they wrote. "Let Doug feel like he’s thrown the party of the century."
Doug, whose wife passed a year ago, is touched by all the online attention — even if he doesn't quite get it.
What's so moving about Doug's story is how much vulnerability there is to it. We live in an era where most of us find knocking on doors a nuisance, and myriad studies have shown how incredibly difficult it can be to make friends as an adult. It may seem small, but it's a big step to put yourself out there in this manner at any age, let alone 85.
Doug's wife just passed a year ago, and a family friend, Adam Puff, said the transition has been difficult. Hernandez's videos have provided some of the connection he so craves. As an old-timer who's not technically inclined, he doesn't quite grasp what all the online attention means.
But after Puff set up an address for people to send notes and cards, Doug has been flooded with well-wishes from all over the world. As a heads-up, a fake GoFundMe was also set up, but Doug is emphatic he doesn't want anyone's money — the cards and letters mean more than anyone's money ever could. If you'd like to write Doug, you can do so at the following address:
Doug’s Party
205 N. Haddon Avenue
Haddonfield, NJ 08033
“He is everything that video makes him look like," Puff told PhillyBurbs.com. “He is an extraordinarily nice gentleman. The world could use a few more Dougs.”
John Sundholm is a writer, editor, and video personality with 20 years of experience in media and entertainment. He covers culture, mental health, and human interest topics.