Community donations pour in for Salinas ice cream vendor

An outpouring of community support continues this week as an image of a man pushing an ice cream cart through Salinas is shared on social media.

According to Alejandra Bravo, Don Gabriel, 88, sells “paletas” in Salinas and after hearing about his health problems, she decided to set up a GoFundMe account with his permission.

The original fundraising goal was set at $1,500. But as of Sept. 14, more than $4,300 has been donated. Donations range from $200 to $5.

Bravo said an initial amount was already delivered to Gabriel and future donations will be deposited for him.

On Wednesday, Bravo posted an update to the GoFundMe page, saying other donations are also coming in for Gabriel including shoes. According to Bravo, Gabriel is looking for housing after his current place to stay comes to an end.

A similar scenario is playing out for an ice cream vendor in Chicago. A GoFundMe account set up for 89-year-old Fedencio Sanchez has raised $336,780 so far.