Local organization Plant A Row for the Hungry unveiled a gallery in the Port Washington Public Library at the beginning of February to visualize the expansiveness of the organization’s reach and efforts in the community.

The gallery, which will be on the library’s walls through the end of March, includes a plethora of photos, informational placards and community member testimonials for viewers to grasp the full impact of Plant A Row.

Plant A Row is a local organization that plants, grows, harvests and delivers produce to local families and community members in need. The organization was founded to address local issues of hunger through gardening. Since its foundation, they have donated over 57,000 pounds of locally grown and fresh produce.

Marvin Makofsky, founder, board president and chief vegetable officer of Plant A Row, said that he has found that there are community members who have a full understanding of the program and those that do not.

As a grassroots organization, Makofsky said it is his goal for the entire community to be aware of how they work, what they’ve accomplished and their goals.

The program, which started in 2010, is best known for its large painted pots strewn throughout town that grow produce for those in need.

The painted pots are the most prominent visual aspect of the program because “they are there every day of the year,” Makosky said, so people speculate that is what the entire program is about. The gallery is aiming to break down that misconception by showing the full scope of what the program offers the community.

“[Plant A Row] has taken on many shapes and sizes and activities and programs over the years,” Makofsky said. “When you look at the gallery, you see all of this.”

He added that the purpose of the posters is to not just show individual photos, but the working process of all the people involved he said “eventually creates the food” that is donated.

While Makofsky said that he’s sure most people are aware of their painted pot program throughout the town, they may not know of their work with other local organizations, such as supporting and collaborating with the Nicholas Center and the Helen Keller National Center.

Lee Anne Vetrone, director of development for the Nicholas Center, said she is happy to be involved with Plant A Row and integral to their operations. The students of the Nicholas Center are involved in every aspect of Plant A Row’s actions: “from seed to harvest to distribution to folks who need it,” Vetrone said.

Co-founder of the Nicholas Center Stella Spanekos said that the work the students at the center are involved in is beneficial in giving them a personal stake and reward in helping their community be a better place.

This is an aspect of Plant A Row that Makofsky said is a great benefit to the individuals involved.

“‘I don’t like gardening, why do I want to do this?’” Makofsky speculated some people may say. “If you understand what it is for, and then you engage in it and then you reap the satisfaction of growing some of this food that is then contributed to people who can’t afford it, it suddenly becomes meaningful to you to participate in it. When you give, you get in return far greater than what you give.”

Makofsky said that one goal of the gallery is to garner more support and volunteers from the community. They currently have 50 volunteers, but Makofsky said they need more. He said that “it’s a whole network involved here” when talking about the support that is necessary to accomplish Plant A Row’s initiatives.

Makosky said that, yes, he needs more volunteers, but ideally he wants everyone to volunteer.

“I’ll give a job to everyone,” Makofsky said.

The gallery’s unveiling was celebrated with a reception on Feb. 2, held in front of the gallery with a gathering of about 75 people. In attendance were multiple community members, including local government officials and a plethora of people who have been a part of Plant A Row’s work in the community. Many in attendance were featured in the gallery.

Makofsky said there were no formal speeches at the reception, simply a gathering of people to celebrate the impact they have made through this program and the gallery’s documentation of this.

“Everybody who was there cares a lot about Port Washington, so the conversation was easy,” Makofsky said. “People who were there are a part of the gallery wall. We all have something in common: we care about the community.”

Makofsky said that “the goal of Plant A Row is to reach every corner of the community,” hence why he works with the deaf and blind, autistic community members, students of all ages, and adults and seniors.

“It creates more of an understanding of the need for a community to be successful, is that all parts of the community must be served,” Makofsky said.

For people curious about the program, Makofsky said he encourages people to go to the gallery to see the entire program with their eyes.

“Everyone in the community should come to visit [the gallery] and see where they can fit in,” Makofsky said.

Plant A Row is active in planting, harvesting and delivering produce starting in mid-April, and community members can get involved by contacting them through their website.