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A silver lining for East Rockaway after the storm

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Erin Bianco, a Lynbrook resident who lived in East Rockaway when the storm hit, said she would remember the kindness and charity the storm brought out. “The silver lining in all of this was when Janet Barth, a former East Rockaway resident, and I came up with a way for people to help their families in East Rockaway.”

Bianco, who ran the “You Know You’re from East Rockaway When…” Facebook page, which provided aid and information to residents immediately following the storm, said that she and Barth found a way for those far away to contribute to the relief efforts immediately following the super-storm.

“Janet had sent me a $100 CVS electronic gift card to help with supplies for East Rockaway,” she said. “We announced that we were accept these donations on the Facebook page, and soon a lot of out-of-towners were donating through these CVS gift cards.”

Bianco eventually collected over $3,500 over the course of a few weeks, which she used to buy supplies for East Rockaway residents in need. “I was out of work for three weeks because there was no electricity, so I had time to shop with all of this donated money,” she explained. “I took the supplies to the East Rockaway firehouse and the Bethany Church … the firehouse and the church played amazing roles in opening their doors as fantastic supply and rescue centers.”

Bianco also said that while the storm was a difficult time for everyone in East Rockaway, it showed the true character of its residents. “It was absolutely one of the worst, if not the worst, times for our town. But it showed me how amazing the people from East Rockaway are… everyone is family even years after they may have moved away.”