Giving Rye is a feature series highlighting non-profits and community groups in and around the City of Rye. Today meet Genevieve Weber of the pRYEde Community Group.
Your Name: Genevieve Weber, PhD, LMHC
Name of your organization: pRYEde Community Group
Your role: Co-Founder, Vice-President, Community Educator
MyRye.com: Tell us your organization’s mission
Weber: pRYEde Community Group (pRYEde) seeks to advocate locally for equity and inclusion; celebrate the diversity of Rye and the greater community; engage in educational programming; and strengthen the sense of belonging for all, especially for those who hold minority identities. pRYEde began with a focus on supporting Rye’s LGBTQIA+ community members, and has broadened its focus to include the multitude of minority identity groups as defined by race, ethnicity, nationality, language, religion, disability status, and beyond.
How long have you operated in or around Rye?
Weber: We just celebrated five years!
What programming or work is the organization best known for? Weber:
- Student-led mural (bi-annual): Now in its fifth year, our youth-led community mural project continues to unite students from Westchester and Rockland counties as well as Connecticut. Together, students brainstorm and then create a large-scale outdoor mural, guided by a skilled art advisor. Community service hours are provided for student volunteers.
- Rye Town Park Pride Celebration: Each June, we co-host our Pride Month celebration at Rye Town Park. This event combines art, live music, engaging activities, a parade, and opportunities for social connection. Open to families and people of all ages, it’s a celebration of love, inclusivity, and community spirit that truly captures the heart of Pride. Along with the pride flag raising and mural unveiling, leaders in our community speak to the attendees showing support for the health and safety of the LGBTQ+ community.
- Community education: pRYEde has taken the lead in educating and inspiring the Rye community through inclusive initiatives. From hosting presentations on the city green to collaborating with faith-based organizations through thought-provoking talks, we encourage reflection, critical thinking, and for some, action. We have also disseminated newsletters through our school district that amplifies our mission and important work. One of our newsletters earned national recognition by the Department of Education.
Looking forward to 2026, what will be your top initiatives?
Weber:
- Continued collaboration with the Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) student group at RHS/RMS, as well as with community organizations including RyeACT, the Rye Youth Council, and the Rye Reading Room.
- Rye Town Park Pride 6th Annual Celebration: This event is planned for early June, with additional details to follow.
- We look forward to offering educational programming and advocacy initiatives that address topics relevant to the LGBTQ+ community, in response to requests from community members and local venues.
Tell us about the population you serve and how they can get involved with your programming and services.
Weber: pRYEde serves to create welcoming spaces and belonging for LGBTQ+ youth and adults in Rye and the surrounding areas. pRYEde is a community organization led by passionate change-makers and supporters from all walks of life. We are always on the lookout for volunteers, especially those with unique skills and talents to help grow our impact.
Are you a 501(c)(3) non-profit with tax exempt status?
Weber: Yes.
Looking back across 2025, what were your organization’s top achievements?
Weber:
- 2025 Mural Project “Live Your Dreams” – The 2025 youth-led pRYEde mural was a collaboration between local middle school and high school students, pRYEde Community Group, and art educator Donna Wundeler. The mural features artistic representations of the struggles facing young people in the world today as well as visions of a world in which people feel accepted, included, and safe. Students brainstormed their ideas for the mural and offered suggestions on how to illustrate them, and the artist Donna Wundeler helped shape these into a cohesive mural. The concepts they explored in the challenges include threats to the environment and feelings of isolation. In their vision of a better world, there is a celebration of nature as well as an emphasis on diversity.
- 2025 Rye Town Park’s 5th Pride Celebration – On Saturday, May 31st we co-hosted a fun and celebratory pride celebration. This year included a Pride Fair with tables of activities and info from local organizations, an Art Fair curated by the Rye Arts Center, a Pride Flag Raising Ceremony, a parade, and the unveiling of this year’s Student Led Pride Mural. The evening capped off with a Pride Celebration on the Beach with a live DJ and light food.
- Continued flag sales personally delivered by pRYEde volunteers!
How can local residents support your organization?
Weber:
- Join our Facebook page, “pRYEde Community Group,” to stay connected and show your support.
- Display your support for the LGBTQ+ community by purchasing a pRYEde lawn flag.
- Encourage ongoing family discussions about inclusiveness and the value of creating welcoming spaces for everyone.
- Share inclusive books with children, tweens, and teens in your families. The Rye Free Reading Room has a great selection.
Tell us about you:
How long have you been in your current role?
Weber: I have been a member of pRYEde for five years, and a professor, licensed mental health counselor, and activist for 20 years.
Is the role full time or part time? Paid or volunteer?
Weber: Part-time, volunteer — but always on my mind 24 hours a day!
How would your friends and family describe you in one word?
Weber: Busy.
Where did you grow up?
Weber: Northern New Jersey.
What principles guide you when you have to make a difficult decision?
Weber: People first, decide with integrity. and always consider fairness.
What excites you most about the future—for yourself or for the world?
Weber: What excites me most about the future is the next generation. So many of our youth are natural helpers with fresh, innovative ideas. And even those who may not see themselves that way yet have valuable perspectives. I want to engage with all of them, because together they hold the answers to the challenges ahead.
Where do you live and how many years have you lived there?
Weber: Midland Avenue, 17 years. I love it here. Most of the time.
Thanks Genevieve!
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