When a homeless man offered to help his neighbors, he didn’t expect to find a best friend in a 92-year-old veteran. See how God brought them together.
When we think about some of the best friends in our lives, we can see how God placed them there. We did not plan it. We did not work hard to earn them. They just came into our lives at the right time, in the right place. That is what makes this story so special.
David Heavens is a young man from Nigeria. He moved to Southern California in 2018. By 2023, things got hard. He lost his apartment to a squatter and ended up living out of his car. He was homeless.
But even in that tough season, David wanted to help others. He went on a neighborhood app and offered two hours of his time to anyone who needed help around Santa Monica.
A woman reached out first. She needed someone to pick up her medication. David did that. Then Frank, a 92-year-old Navy veteran, and his partner reached out too. They needed a dog walker. David took the job. And that is how they met.
David grew up with his grandmother. She raised him to care for older people. So when he started walking Frank’s dogs, he did not stop there. He became Frank’s caregiver and, before long, his close friend.
Frank did not hold back when he talked about David. “David is the most inspirational person I have ever run across in my 90 years,” he said. “He’s just a wonderfully warm human being.”
What makes their bond even more special is the history behind it. Frank marched for civil rights for Black Americans decades ago. Now David is the one showing up for him.
“It’s just a full circle moment,” David said. “He marched for somebody like me. My grandmother raised somebody like me to help somebody like him.”
In November 2025, David started posting moments from their friendship on social media. He had about 150 followers at the time. Three months later, 370,000 people followed their story. Frank thinks the reason is simple.
“Perhaps because everything they hear now is so negative,” he said. “We unconsciously created this positive movement just by being ourselves.”
David shared what the friendship means to him. “I don’t ever feel the need to not be grateful,” he said. Frank, at 92, stays honest about time. “Clearly, people don’t expect to live forever,” he said. “I just hope that our friendship can continue for as long as I’m able to continue.”
David was living in his car, but he still chose to serve others. That one decision gave him a friend, a purpose, and a story that touched hundreds of thousands of people.
We don’t need to work hard for lasting friendships. We just need a loving and caring heart like David’s that reflects the love of God.
WATCH: Young Man Helps Elderly Veteran and Finds a Friendship He Never Expected
