Chance Meeting Sparks Greenport Man's Resolve To Help Stranger Facing Eviction

NORTH FORK, NY — Sometimes, the kindness of strangers can change everything.

Greenport resident Bob McInnis said a chance encounter with a woman he'd never met has led to his opening his heart to help her navigate the latest setback in a lifetime marked by seemingly insurmountable obstacles and daunting challenges.

"I met Joy Bianco at a bus stop outside the Greenport 7-Eleven," McInnis said. "She was waiting in the freezing cold with a metal utility cart full of clothes — and a small dog perched on top. She was exhausted, quiet, and clearly carrying more than most people ever should. I stopped to talk. What she shared was one of the most heartbreaking and resilient life stories I’ve ever heard. Joy is not homeless by choice. She is a caregiver caught in an impossible situation."

Throughout her life, McInnis said Joy has worked in catering, retail, counseling, maintenance, security, road construction, and eventually Amazon.

At one point, he said, "She was seriously injured after being knocked off a ladder, leaving her unable to continue physical work. A lawyer is helping her pursue disability, but the process is slow and unresolved. As if that weren’t enough, Joy’s brother passed away, leaving behind a young daughter. Joy’s niece now attends school on the North Fork and is being raised by Joy’s mother, whose health has declined and now requires a caregiver. Joy became the bridge holding everything together."

When Joy was a teenager, McInnis said, she gave birth to a baby boy who was born with a severe and rare heart condition, dilated cardiomyopathy.

"He spent long periods on life support, endured multiple surgeries, and still lives with advanced heart failure today," he said. "To better understand his condition and advocate for him, Joy returned to school, studying psychology, social work, and eventually pre-med at Stony Brook. She learned to read echocardiograms and ultrasounds, working closely with cardiology teams while raising a critically ill child."

McInnis said the woman's story inspired. Every day, she takes buses back and forth across Long Island with her dog to care for her mother and niece. She receives just a small amount each week for her caregiving duties, and her mother qualifies for only limited professional aide support.

"Joy cannot take a full-time job without abandoning her family, and she cannot be medically cleared for part-time work while her disability case is pending. Joy rents a small room, and even with food stamps and limited cash assistance, she is consistently falling short. She recently had pneumonia, further complicating her health. Joy is now facing eviction on January 1."

McInnis knew he had to help. He created a GoFundMe page, "Help Joy Avoid Eviction and Help Her Family."

"This fundraiser is meant to be a short-term lifeline," he said. "Funds will help Joy avoid eviction, cover rent and basic necessities, buy time while disability and caregiving approvals are finalized, and allow her to continue caring for her mother and niece without becoming homeless herself. Joy has spent her life taking care of others. She is not asking for luxury or long-term support, just stability and a chance to breathe. If you can help in any amount, or share this fundraiser, you will be giving someone the dignity of staying housed and the ability to keep her family together. Thank you for reading, and thank you for caring," he said.

Speaking with Patch, Joy, 47, described a life that only sheer grit and inner resolve has helped her to navigate. She was born when her own mother was just 15 —and she endured sexual abuse, she said, at the age of 5.

Born in Nassau County, her family moved often, she said; while she lives in western Suffolk she travels to help her mother and niece, dependent upon buses even in the frigid cold.

Her son, her shining light, is now 18 and lives with his brother while attending college. She, too, is still studying online for her degree in psychology at Post University.

From the first, when her son was born, Joy was faced with possibilities too painful to imagine. As well as the dilated cardiomyopathy he was also born with an atrial septal defect, or a "hole in the heart," she said. At three weeks, her baby had a stroke that left the right side of his body paralyzed.

"Even when I was able to take him home, they told me I was going to wake up one morning and find him dead in his crib," she said. "They said there was nothing more they could do for him."

But instead of giving up or giving in, Joy rallied, going to school, educating herself on how to care for her son. Today, although faced with health challenges, he is studying and taking steps toward his future. "He's thriving right now," she said.

When asked how she found the strength to carry on despite all the challenges, Joy said, "You don't have a choice."

The clock, though, is ticking on her rental. "I've been threatened with eviction because he needs tenants in there that can pay the rent," she said.

Joy said she needs about $2,000 to make up the arrears.

To McInnis, who found a soul worth saving in a stranger he met on the street, Joy has two words: "Thank you," she said.

And, she said, no matter how challenging the obstacles ahead, she will not give up. "My son inspires me," she said. "Even with all he faces, he gets up and continues. He's taught me to just appreciate living within the day — to try to not to worry too much. He inspires me to keep going. I want him to know he has a strong mom, someone he can count on."

To donate to the GoFundMe, click here.