Bay Ridge merchant makes life easier for hurricane homeowners
A casual stroll up Fifth Avenue in Bay Ridge changed Walter T. Connolly’s life.
Connolly, a retired telephone technician whose Breezy Point home suffered massive damage in Hurricane Sandy, said he and his wife have been staying with his sister-in-law in Bay Ridge since the super-storm. He walked into Joe’s Appliances, at 7812 Fifth Ave., one recent afternoon and chatted with the store’s owner, Arline Lewis. By the end of that conversation, Connolly had a brand new kitchen, free-of-charge, thanks to Lewis’s generosity.
Lewis decided to donate kitchen appliances to Connolly on the spot. Connolly and his wife will get a stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, and a microwave once they rebuild their house and are ready to move back in. Connolly estimated that they will be ready in about a year.