(CNN) Neighbors say that to know Lamar Harris is to love him.

He's lived in the same tight-knit New Jersey neighborhood for most of his life. He picks up his neighbors' trash, delivers their mail and treats many of them like family, calling them daily and accompanying them for breakfast and haircuts.

When residents discovered that he was weeks away from losing the home he'd grown up in, they rallied and raised more than $50,000, enough to pay off years of debt and keep their beloved neighbor close.

Terri Fretz said she's known Harris for 38 years, since his family moved to the Gloucester Township neighborhood. Harris quickly endeared himself to residents, who called him the "Mayor of Cherry Hill" for the street where they live.

Fretz said he has developmental disabilities such as reading and writing delays, which Harris confirmed.

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