In October 2013, Rev. Sandi Perl and a handful of volunteers started The Living Well to close the gap left in Yates County when the American Red Cross closed operations as part of a regional consolidation effort. Perl, a former executive director of the Yates County Red Cross, knew firsthand how the closure would impact vulnerable Yates County residents. The Well was established as an outreach ministry of the Penn Yan United Methodist Church, taking over the former Red Cross offices (our current location at 121 E. Elm Street) with the intention of providing emergency services to county residents in crisis. Initially, they began by offering an emergency non-perishable food pantry and emergency personal hygiene and household goods pantry. These pantries were stocked with donations from churches, community members, and volunteers.

In May 2014, major flooding in Yates County caused extensive damage to local businesses and homes. Right away, the Well organized an emergency feeding operation in a local bank lobby for the hundreds of volunteers helping salvage the contents of flooded businesses and homes. Soon, the Well became a hub for homeowners needing salvage assistance; for five weeks, it ran a disaster response operation out of the Penn Yan United Methodist Church (PYUMC), matching needs with volunteers and supplies, and deploying resources throughout the county. After going through the flood’s disaster recovery, Perl and volunteers realized that more was needed to help the county’s most vulnerable community members. In July 2014, the Living Well elected its first Board of Directors (under the umbrella of the PYUMC) and established a long-term mission and vision for continuing their work.

Our most recent milestone was reached in March 2021, when the Well became a standalone 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. Today, we employ five part-time staff members (including our Executive Director) and work with a core group of longtime volunteers and supporters. We operate an emergency food and personal hygiene/household goods pantry; utility assistance program; Grab N’ Go free lunch program; Cancer Care support group; Bereavement Peer Support group; dementia respite sites; and other programs as grant funding (and creativity!) allow. Our work is driven by collaboration with local human service partners, county departments, regional agencies, and individuals. The Well is dedicated to building a #CaringCommunity in Yates County, and equally blessed by the many ways in which that community gives back to our mission.