Beth Griffin Matthews from Meals on Wheels of Port Chester, Rye Brook, and Rye addressed the Tuesdays at 10 men’s group last month as part of the organization’s effort to familiarize members with the many nonprofits operating in and around Rye.
“We have a growing audience, and many of our members are recently retired and looking for ways to get involved in the community,” said group member Greg Usry, himself a recent retiree, having stepped down from his job as Rye city manager late last year. “By featuring a nonprofit speaker each month, they can learn about organizations and offer their help as volunteers.”
Usry added that while the goal is to feature all of the local nonprofits at some point, the current focus is on those that do not have a prominent physical location, because members may be less likely to know about them.
Featuring the smaller nonprofits may allow members to form ongoing volunteer relationships, using their skills to serve the community. He hopes that Tuesdays at 10 can become a place to foster communication between the nonprofits and the group members, creating a win for everyone.
Rye is home to dozens of nonprofits, and Usry said he hopes to build partnerships with them and make sure volunteer opportunities like the annual Rye Derby are shared with the group.
Tuesdays at 10 formed about two years ago and meets at Whitby Castle on the second Tuesday of the month. The group boasts more than 500 members and includes men from different professional backgrounds, some retired, others semiretired. Much of the appeal of the group, the founders have discovered, is that it goes beyond the members’ professional lives and offers community connections and purpose.
Tom Murphy, president of Tuesdays at 10, said the group is modeled after similar groups in other towns, including the Darien Men’s Association, which has been meeting for nearly 50 years. The Rye group, led by an active board of directors, features a speaker series and affinity groups, which include a hiking group, cultural excursions, an angler group, a biking group, and a regular poker game.
