A community rallied together to replace a beloved 7-Eleven clerk’s bicycle after it was stolen outside of the store.

West Long Branch clerk Billy Stump says that he relied on his bike to get him to and from work every day.

“Anywhere that I needed to be to work, I go. It doesn’t matter how far it is,” Stump says.

But the bike was stolen a few weeks ago, leaving Stump without a way to travel.

“Came around 12, parked my bright…and within a half-hour, I came outside to take out the garbage and I noticed it was gone,” he says.

Word began to spread among Stump’s regular customers, who say that they all consider him to be a friend. They stop in every day to see him.

“He’s the type of person that he smiles and he greets you and he’s just got a big heart,” says customer Tara Critelli.

The customers raised some money and bought Stump a new bike. They presented it to him on Monday.

“Shocked. I just saw them all walk in and it’s just like insane,” Stump says. “It was really, really nice. From the bottom of my heart, I really appreciate it and everything. They did a lot for me.”

Critelli says that it was the least that they could do.

"He was surprised but he doesn't know how much he's worth to the community and how many people he makes happy on a daily basis just by being him,” she says.

The customers also gave Stump a check to help pay off some of his bills.