Thursday, October 1, 2026
A night of psychedelic art, live music and community spirit is on tap Saturday when the Bahr Gallery will host a fundraiser for People Loving People, a local nonprofit that operates the People’s Pantry, a vital food resource for hundreds of families in Oyster Bay and surrounding communities.
The event, featuring a performance by the North Shore band Ray’s No Quitter, will run from 6 to 8 p.m. at the art gallery on Audrey Avenue. Attendees will be asked to make a $20 donation at the door, all of which will go directly to the pantry to help cover the cost of a new van.
“I’m on the same block as them, so I see the people that go there, and I know it’s a really important location,” gallery owner Ted Bahr, who spearheaded the idea for the event, said. “I don’t mind the idea of thinking globally, but I’d much rather act locally myself.”
The evening will also showcase the gallery’s current exhibition, Revolution Evolution II, which highlights the psychedelic poster art of the late 1960s, including work by artists Rick Griffin, Bonnie MacLean, Lee Conklin and Robert Fried. Gallery-style refreshments will be served, and guests are encouraged to make dinner reservations at local restaurants after the event.
For Valerie Monroy, People Loving People co-founder and director, the fundraiser is a timely and deeply appreciated gesture.
“This is exactly what we’re about — the community helping the community,” Monroy said. “It’s just about helping each other, whoever it may be. It doesn’t matter what nationality you are, what religion you are, what church you go to. Anybody here is welcome.”
Founded just before the Covid-19 pandemic, People Loving People began as a pop-up operation run by Monroy, her sister, Donna Galgano, and friend Gina Kang gathered non-perishables which they gave to those in need out of the back of their cars at the Oyster Bay Community Center. When local food pantries began to feel the pinch during the pandemic, the volunteers at People Loving People quickly realized the need was far greater than they’d anticipated.
“We became the biggest thing on the block,” Monroy said. “Everybody needed, and people started to come to us: ‘How can I help?’”
Within six months, the group had raised enough funds to open a permanent location at 123 Audrey Ave., just steps from the Theodore Roosevelt Museum, at the old train station. Since then, the organization has grown to serve roughly 180 families per week, distributing nearly 10,000 pounds of food a month, with a mission centered on dignity and inclusivity.
“Our food pantry is a client-choice food pantry,” Monroy said. “We don’t just hand them a bag of day-old bread and some cans. They come in with their bags and shopping carts, and they food shop like they would food shop at any beautiful, little store in a hamlet like Oyster Bay.”
Although the pantry initially only served Oyster Bay, it briefly expanded to assist residents in East Norwich, Bayville and parts of Glen Cove, when other nearby food resources became overwhelmed. They’ve since refocused their efforts on Oyster Bay, which remains the core of their operations.
Funding for the pantry comes from a mix of sources, including area churches, the Oyster Bay Community Foundation, and grassroots fundraising efforts. The group participates in events like the Oyster Festival and organizes annual donor appeals to keep their shelves stocked.
Monroy said Bahr first reached out to her after they met at an Oyster Bay Community Foundation garden party.
“He said that he’d like to get involved and do something,” she recalled. “He wanted to think of something that he could do as the weather starts to get nice. Then he approached us with this idea.”
Bahr took the lead in organizing the event, from booking the band to arranging refreshments and emailing his client list to promote the evening. He explained that as a long-time lover of Oyster Bay and a supporter of the community’s success, he is always looking for ways to help uplift the hamlet and its residents.
“It’s part of the Bahr Gallery tradition of trying to give back and boost the community,” he said. “Oyster Bay is a really special community, and we can take care of each other here.”
While the organization doesn’t yet know how much the fundraiser will bring in, the funds are sorely needed.
“We’re really, right now, trying really, really, super hard to fundraise, because we need a new van,” Monroy said, adding that the pantry’s current cargo van — essential for picking up large food donations — is nearing the end of its lifespan. “Our cargo van is the lifeline to People Loving People,” she said.
For those unable to attend the May 31 event, People Loving People accepts donations year-round through its website at PeopleLovingPeople.net.
“This is a great opportunity to enjoy good music and support an important cause,” Bahr said. “We’re people, they’re people, we love them.”
Anyone interested in attending the event must RSVP to ted@bahrgallery.com.
