The History of The Well: Origin Story
Recognizing the needs of the Yates County community went beyond the scope of food instability, so we established an emergency dry goods pantry.
The Living Well began as an outreach ministry of the Penn Yan United Methodist Church. Pastor Sandi Perl and several dedicated volunteers founded our organization in October 2013, after the Red Cross closed operations in Yates County. As a former Director of the Red Cross operation in Penn Yan, Pastor Sandi used her firsthand knowledge of the vulnerable populations in Yates County and recognized the needs that would be unmet in the absence of The Red Cross.
Pastor Sandi obtained a rental agreement for the former Red Cross office space and launched a volunteer campaign, The Living Well (“The Well”). The Well was created to provide emergency services to individuals and families in crisis. An as-needed emergency food pantry was established in conjunction with the Penn Yan Food for The Needy program, which distributes food once a month.
Recognizing the needs of the Yates County community went beyond the scope of food instability, an emergency dry goods pantry (including paper products, hygiene products, cleaning and laundry supplies, and baby diapers) was established with the support of churches, community organizations, and volunteer donations. In the first 3 months of operation 389 families or 1,439 individuals in crisis were assisted with emergency goods, while Pastor Sandi and volunteers developed linkages with other agencies in order to expand services to our vulnerable clients. An agreement with The Once Again Shoppe provides emergency vouchers for clothing and household items including furniture as well as emergency home heating funds. And, an agreement was established with Catholic Charities of the Finger Lakes to secure gas cards for out of area doctor appointments.
Come back on February 23rd to hear about the devastating flood in 2014 and how The Well became a stabilizing force in the community.
This week’s collection need:
Upcoming event:
February 1st Bereavement Support Group at 5pm
February 2nd Cancer Care Group at 5pm
Volunteer Opportunity:
Snack Shack - weekly, after school
One-time opportunities available this month
Well done 👍