In 2010, a small group of residents, concerned about food insecurity in our community, came to a transformational realization: If they could collect and distribute the excess vegetables from those gardening in Port Washington, they could begin to make a dent in helping to relieve hunger locally, contributing the most beneficial category of food – fresh produce.
From that spark of an idea 15 years ago, Plant A Row for the Hungry, Port Washington has contributed more than 325,000 servings of nutritious produce to those families who are food insecure in our area.
At first, our organization concentrated on our Harvest at Home Program. Then, as the program grew, we enlisted volunteers who could help by picking up vegetables that had been dropped off at a central point in town and bringing them to local food pantries.
Over the years, we’ve grown further, transforming otherwise unproductive land into burgeoning mini farms at the Adult Activities Center, The Nicholas Center and the Helen Keller National Center.
Our volunteer veteran and novice gardeners often harvest more than 100 pounds of fresh produce in a single day during the height of the season.
Our Painted Planter Program, placing over 100 local artist-painted planters in front of PW Chamber of Commerce businesses, community organizations, churches and synagogues, provides an additional way to grow fresh produce while also reminding Port Washington residents and visitors about the importance of helping others.
To encourage growing fresh food, we have promoted sustainable vegetable gardening through programs at the Port Washington Public Library, and we have participated in community events such as HarborFest, Party in the Park, Karmacue, Fiesta in the Park and Portfest. By forging meaningful connections throughout Port Washington, we enjoy seeing our message take root and flourish.
Plant A Row could not exist without the help of our volunteers and the financial support of our many individual and business donors highlighted in photos and mentions throughout this website.
Marvin Makofsky
Founder, Board President and Chief Vegetable Officer
After a career in the printing industry during which he was recognized with more than 100 national and international design awards and 11 patents, Marvin started his second career as the founder of Plant A Row armed with a lifelong passion for gardening and commitment to community service in Port Washington. He and Plant A Row have been recognized by Newsday, Residents Forward, the Town of North Hempstead, Nassau County and New York State. With his wife Ellen, he has two grown children and five grandchildren. His favorite garden vegetable is the tomato.
Ralph Katz
Board Secretary
Over a marketing career spanning 48 years, Ralph balanced sharp strategic insights with disciplined creativity to tackle some of the most complex assignments ever conceived for corporate America. Following extensive stints with both a major New York advertising firm and the world’s largest public relations agency, Ralph teamed with long-time colleague, Andy Cooper, to launch CooperKatz & Company in 1996. One of his most proud accomplishments was the CooperKatz culture of collaboration, caring and purpose, which led to CooperKatz being named to the Crain’s “100 Best Places to Work in NYC” list for the final four years of company operations (2014 through 2017). Ralph has headed several non-profit boards and travels to the most rural area of Honduras, the Agalta Valley, with a team helping to nurture and promote educational advancements in the region.
Andrew Mandel
Treasurer
Andrew is a retired CPA who spent the last 30 years of his career with one of the world’s largest accounting / consulting firms where he specialized in executive compensation and human capital due diligence. Andrew is a problem-solver with a number of diverse interests and hobbies including woodworking, competitive BBQing, and chess. A long-time resident of Port Washington, Andrew is married to his wife Jackie and has two grown children, Jonathan and Alison, and a pet cat, Winston.
David A. Cohen
David is President of DAC Technology Inc, a successful engineering company in the aerospace industry for the past 40 years. He owns several engineering patents and a long list of products designed by his company. He is a CCE Master Gardener since 2019 and is proud of his gardening accomplishments. He is the hands-on leader of Plant A Row for their irrigation systems and other physical projects. David is a graduate of Columbia University, Bronx HS of Science, and also PS86 in the Bronx. His favorite vegetable is black garlic! His favorite wife is Charlotte!
Jonathan Davis
Jonathan has had a 38-year career on Wall Street, focused on institutional structured finance at a number of firms including Chemical Bank, Salomon Brothers, Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette and JPMorgan Chase. Over the course of his career, Jonathan managed teams of individuals and worked to deliver the firms’ financing solutions to clients and investors. Jonathan and his wife Heidi, moved to Port Washington in 1994 where they continue to reside, and where they raised their daughters, Mara and Ellie. Working with Plant A Row provides Jonathan with an opportunity to combine his love of gardening with the ability to give back to and serve the community.
Tara Downing
With over 15 years of experience, Tara brings her passion for marketing and extensive knowledge of real estate to Laffey. Previously, she served as Marketing Operations Lead and Associate Broker at Compass NYC, where she was a key member of The Manuche Team, whose impressive closed sales exceed $3 billion to date. Tara has a deep understanding of the real estate sales process and the emotions involved in buying and selling a home. Known for her diligence, creativity, and dedication, she thrives on helping buyers and sellers achieve their real estate dreams. A proud Port Washington resident and mother of three boys, Tara enjoys staying active in her free time through exercise, tennis, hiking, volunteering, and reading.
Bruce Frey
Bruce has lived in Port Washington for 29 years. He was the owner of a commercial printing company for 30 years, and now retired, enjoys giving back to the community as a board member with Plant A Row. Bruce graduated with degrees in fine arts and education, and besides gardening, his hobbies include ceramics and painting. He has been married for 46 years, has one son and two granddaughters.
Jennifer Zankel
Jennifer is a marketing professional with 20+ years of experience across the media, publishing and legal industries. While at Scholastic, she led marketing for their National Partnerships group that created sponsored educational programs for schools. Jennifer grew up in Port Washington and moved back with her family, knowing there was nowhere better to raise her son than this special town. She is honored to support the passionate team at Plant A Row and help give back to her community.
At Plant A Row, we believe in the power of community. These inspiring stories from our supporters, collaborators and partners showcase the meaningful difference we can make by working together to provide locally grown nutritious food to our neighbors in need.
