GREENPORT, NEW YORK

Around the holidays, I drove past Joy Bianco, who was waiting alone for a bus outside the 7-Eleven. She looked homeless (she wasn't, yet) and traveling with her small dog and a large cart of belongings. She said she was ok and didn’t need help. As we talked, it became clear that Joy was carrying a lot more than most people ever should. She reluctantly took $100 and my phone number in case she ever needed any help. Not long afterwards, she called me. Joy is facing eviction from a room she's renting in Shirley. At the same time, she travels back and forth to Greenport by bus to care for her sick mother and her niece. She does this quietly, without complaint, even though it makes holding a steady job nearly impossible. She is not being evicted by choice. She is a caregiver caught in a situation where the systems meant to help don’t quite line up. Joy has worked most of her life in physically demanding jobs, from catering and maintenance to security and warehouse work. While working at Amazon, she was injured after being knocked off a ladder. That injury left her unable to continue physical labor, and she is now navigating the slow and uncertain process of applying for disability. In the meantime, bills don’t wait. Family responsibilities have always shaped Joy’s life. Years ago, one of her sons was born with a severe heart condition and spent time on life support. To better understand and advocate for his care, Joy returned to school, studying psychology, social work, and pre-med coursework at Stony Brook. She learned how to read echocardiograms and worked closely with cardiology teams, all while raising a critically ill child. More recently, Joy’s brother passed away, leaving behind a young daughter. Joy’s mother took on the role of raising her granddaughter out in Greenport, but her own health has declined to the point where she now needs assistance. Joy stepped in. She now spends much of her time traveling across Long Island by bus to help keep her mother and niece safe and functioning. That responsibility comes at a cost. Joy receives limited compensation for caregiving, not nearly enough to cover rent. Even with food assistance and help from her adult children when they can manage it, she has been consistently short. A bout of pneumonia only added to the strain. I set up a GoFundMe for Joy, not as a long-term solution, but as a short-term lifeline to help Joy avoid eviction and keep her family together while she works through housing, disability, and caregiving support. What happened next surprised both of us. The fundraiser began circulating, and Lisa Finn, the managing editor of North Fork Patch, reached out. Lisa has a long history of telling difficult, human stories with care, often the ones nobody wants to write about, especially when doing so can help someone in a real and tangible way. She wrote about Joy’s situation thoughtfully, without sensationalizing it, and included a link to the fundraiser. The response from the community has been overwhelming. People have donated, shared the story, and reached out with messages of support. When Joy realized how many people cared enough to help, she broke down in tears. As she put it, “I would never imagine anything like this happening. I am really so speechless.” This page isn’t here to tug at heartstrings. It’s here to be clear about what’s happening, to thank the people who have stepped up, and to keep things transparent as Joy works through the next steps. ​ Then Sharon Sailor, owner of South Street Station, contacted me to ask what else she needs and asked for a list of items she desperately needs. It never even occurred to me to ask. Sharon has a long history of helping the community and people in need. Joy was uncomfortable making a list but eventually wrote one below. Then when Kim Loper at Harbor Pet heard, she started donating pet supplies. The outpouring of support has been overwhelming. If you'd like to help, you can donate to her GoFundMe and I'm also keeping a running list below of what she needs. I'll check the items people have been generously donated already: