The scene at Associated this afternoon

The Associated supermart on Ave C is emptying itself into a dumpster. Many folks from the hood arriving w handcarts. flic.kr/p/dpKYUd
— finitor (@finitor) November 1, 2012

As @Finitor noted in a follow-up tweet: "Situation I observed is more about people making calm sensible use of unspoiled discards, NOT desperation."

As noted earlier, the store here at East Eighth Street was hit hard by the storm surge Monday night. There are unconfirmed reports of looting here too.

A Con Ed call

An end in sight?? Received call from ConEd that service should be restored by 11pm Saturday for 5th St b/w A & B. @evgrieve @nheastvillage

— Angela Smith (@angela_g_smith) November 1, 2012

Anyone else receiving the robo calls?

Father's Heart needs volunteers to help deliver food to the elderly who weren't able to leave

From the EV Grieve inbox...

Friday, November 02, 2012, 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM

Group: Father's Heart, Hurricane Sandy Relief

Location: The Father's Heart, 545 East 11th Street

Attendance Limit: 25

Volunteers needed to help The Father's Heart distribute food to the elderly who were not able to evacuate on Aves C & D.

RSVP here.

C-Squat and MoRUS helping power the neighborhood

[Photo by Alta Tseng via Facebook]

Courtesy of Times's Up!, C-Squat and the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Spaces (MoRUS). Read more about it about at New York Natives here.

The folks at C-Squat also broke out the BBQ... Last night via @Finitor... ...

[Updated] Claim: People are dumpster diving for food in the East Village

people are dumpster diving in the East Village looking for food. that's how bad it is post #sandy
— Courtney Dunlop (@BeautyEditorNYC) November 1, 2012

Updated:

Here's a tweet via Jonathan Vigliotti, a correspondent for News 4 New York...

Desperate families in East Village dumpster dive for discarded groceries. @nbcnewyork @nbcnews twitter.com/JonVig4NY/stat…

— Jonathan Vigliotti (@JonVig4NY) November 1, 2012

A reader who witnessed this thought it wasn't necessarily out of desperation ... just people taking advantage of free groceries, with the rummaging happening to find the items that hadn't expired...

Updated 5:59:

View more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com.

[Updated] East Village restaurants that are serving now

Fork in the Road has a list of East Village restaurants open right now.

Find the article here.

Quickly:

• Paradiso on Avenue B
• Ray's on Avenue A
• Macaron Parlour on St. Mark's
• Oyama on 1st Avenue

What else? Please let me know in the comments.

Updated:

Luke's Lobster on East Seventh Street
JoeDoe on East First Street for drinks at 6 p.m.
Spina on Avenue B at East 11th Street
Professor Thom's on Second Avenue
Shervins Cafe on East Seventh Street near Avenue A opens at 6
Bar 82 on St. Mark's Place near St. Mark's
Zerza on East Sixth Street

Free medical care until 6 p.m. on East 2nd Street

Via Dr. Dave Ores:

I’m open today if I can help anyone. Until 6 pm. 189 E 2nd Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.

The view from Williamsburg last night

Via Rob Ferri ...

LES food and distribution sites

Via EveryBlock:

Food and water distribution sites will open throughout lower Manhattan at 3 p.m., Mayor Bloomberg announced today.

Sites below 14th Street include:

10th Street between Avenues C and D
Catherine Street between Monroe and Cherry Streets (Smith Houses)
Pitt and Houston Streets
Grand and Clinton Streets — water only
Bowery and Division Street (Confucius Plaza)

In addition, the National Guard, NYC Service and the Salvation Army will go door-to-door in residential high-rises in order to check on seniors and those with disabilities who have been affected by the blackout.

The line for water and ice now at Union Square

Via ‏@LinzaPinz