New Dad Feeling Isolated After Welcoming Baby Reaches Out for Support — and 20 Fathers Show Up (Exclusive)

"I’ve had so many parents from all over saying ... how it heals their inner child seeing dads getting together,” Joe Gonzales says

Any first-time parent will admit that adjusting to life with a newborn is difficult. Not only are you now responsible for another human being, but plenty of parents have admitted that transitioning into parenthood can be an isolating experience.

For new dad Joe Gonzales, he found that he wasn’t the only new dad feeling alone when he started sharing his experience on TikTok.

“I had been feeling isolated in this new life routine with not many of my friends having kids in the city so I started making TikToks just sharing my experiences,” New Yorker Gonzales, 32, shares with PEOPLE. “[In] one TikTok I asked where the dads hang out in Brooklyn and people really said there should be something for them, so I put myself out there by setting a date.”

Gonzales shared the result of his meet-up for dads, which he’s dubbed the Brooklyn Stroll Club, on TikTok, where it garnered more than 600,000 views and 160,000 likes. He says he had “almost 20 first-time dads from all over New York” come for the group’s first meet-up in McCarren Park.

“We hung out and shared stories on what it’s been like [being parents],” Gonzales shares. “It was super simple but left me feeling grateful for the power of dads and social media.”

He’s only been a father for about five months now, and Gonzales credits his own dad and his friend Aaron in preparing himself for fatherhood.

Related: 5 Vital Parenting Tips All New Dads Should Know

“My friend Aaron is the most intentional person I know,” he says. “I see it with his family but also with himself and others. He has inspired me to be a loving present father to my son but also be intentional to the people around me. Having a son has [shown] me that I’m a constant example for him, and Aaron has been a great example for me.”

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Though he and his partner have called New York City their home for the past five years, they made the move to Brooklyn when they found out they were having their first child together about a year ago.

Gonzales says the response to his video recapping the first Brooklyn Stroll Club meet-up has been incredibly positive, with the comments section filled with notes from other users about how posts like this “heals my inner child.”

“As a single mom, this heals my heart. All babies deserve and amazing father. The new generation is breaking cycles,” one TikTok user commented on Gonzales’ post.

“My bf was just talking about creating a dad group (we’re in SoCal) so when this showed up on my feed, I got all excited & had to share with him that he’s not the only one wanting to do it,” another commenter noted.

Related: As Robert Pattinson Turns 38, Get to Know His Life as a New Dad and What's Next for The Batman Actor

“Posting these recap photos on TikTok made me even more surprised because I’ve had so many parents from all over saying how much they wish they could have something like this and how it heals their inner child seeing dads getting together,” he shares. “I have had so many dads in my comments reaching out saying that they want to be at the next one and the dads that came have been so encouraging about it.”

“I am really grateful for community, and I believe in this generation of dads because they really want to be the best they can.”

Gonzales says he’s busy planning another meet up for dads in the New York City area, hoping to bring more fathers together to celebrate parenthood and make the journey feel a little bit less lonely.

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