Giving Rye is a feature series highlighting non-profits and community groups in and around the City of Rye. Today meet Beth Griffins Matthews of Meals on Wheels of Port Chester, Rye Brook, and Rye.
Your Name: Beth Griffin Matthews
Name of your organization: Meals on Wheels of Port Chester, Rye Brook and Rye
Your role: President
MyRye.com: Tell us your organization’s mission.
Matthews: We deliver hot lunches and cold suppers every weekday to our homebound neighbors in three communities. Ours is a fully volunteer organization, with approximately 72 drivers who deliver meals one day each month.
How long have you operated in Rye?
Matthews: We were founded in 1973 and with the exception of an occasional snow day, we have made deliveries without interruption since then.
What programming or work in Rye is the organization best known for?
Matthews: Our volunteers deliver hot lunches and cold suppers that are prepared for us by Hubbard’s Cupboard, a Port Chester caterer who follows the nutrition guidelines of the Westchester County Department of Senior Nutrition.
The tasty meals are important to our recipients, but the friendly interaction with our cheerful volunteers is a highlight for many people and serves as a midday safety check for those who are alone.
We deliver about 12,000 meals each year.
Looking forward to 2026, what will be your top initiatives?
Matthews: We will continue our weekday deliveries to our homebound neighbors!
Tell us about the population you serve.
Matthews: Most of the people we serve are elderly, but there is no age or income limit. The only actual requirement is that they are homebound and unable to safely prepare meals for themselves.
We pay our supplier for the meals and charge the recipients without any mark-up. In gratitude and with deep respect for a generous unrestricted bequest, we are currently partially subsidizing all recipients. At the recommendation of our board, we also provide additional subsidies, as indicated. The current daily cost to recipients is $3.80 for the hot lunch and $5.20 if an optional cold supper is delivered at the same time.
Are you a 501(c)(3) non-profit with tax exempt status?
Matthews: Yes, we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit with tax-exempt status. We are an entirely independent, totally volunteer, non-governmental organization.
Looking back across 2025, what were your organization’s top achievements?
Matthews: Each of the more than 12,000 balanced meals we delivered was hand-carried to the residence of a homebound neighbor by an upbeat volunteer driving his or her own car.
How can local residents support your organization?
Matthews: We welcome adult drivers to become Meals on Wheels volunteers. Drivers commit to make deliveries during a two-hour midday window one weekday each month. We provide training and pre-mapped routes.
We also appreciate financial contributions.
What local Rye residents and area businesses have been the longest, steadiest supporters of your organization?
Matthews: Historically, the Agatha Durland Foundation has been our most consistent financial supporter and we are indebted to them for their generosity and flexibility. This year, we also received critical grants from The Woman’s Club of Rye and the Youth Grantmaking Board at Christ’s Church. And Stop & Shop included us twice this year in their “Bloomin’ Good” program that provides a donation to us for each bouquet purchased in a specific month. November 2025 was one of those months!
We are grateful to the Ceres Garden Club, the Little Garden Club and the Rye Garden Club for fresh seasonal floral arrangements their talented members make for us. Our recipients appreciate the small bright additions to the meal delivery and our drivers enjoy being the conduits of the clubs’ generosity.
We appreciate that Christ’s Church provides space for the monthly meeting of our small, active board of directors.
Tell us about you:
How long have you been in your current role?
Matthews: Our vice-president Judi Linton and I stepped into our roles with the untimely passing in 2020 of Richard Hansen, our longtime director and jack-of-all trades. He succeeded Rosaleen O’Neill, an indefatigable leader and champion of Meals on Wheels. They attracted many volunteers, gave us clear direction and left us big shoes to fill.
Is the role full time or part time?
Matthews: This is a part-time position, largely because each member of our small board plays an active role in the organization. We believe that our Meals on Wheels is the only all-volunteer Meals on Wheels in the Sound Shore.
How would your friends and family describe you in one word?
Matthews: Loyal
Where did you grow up?
Matthews: My husband and I are fortunate to live in the Lea Place home where I grew up and where we raised our sons. I have been a Meals on Wheels driver since 1995.
What principles guide you when you have to make a difficult decision?
Matthews: Is it necessary? Is it right? Is it just? Is it fair? Is it kind?
What excites you most about the future—for yourself or for the world?
Matthews: We have a 2 ½-year-old grandson who lives close enough to Rye that we are a regular feature of his life. There’s probably no better cause for optimism for the human race than the happy giggle of a little kid.
Thanks Beth!
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