Wellness means different things to different people. At United Way, it means this: to truly enjoy a healthy, stable life, people need to be connected - with each other, and with the services they need.

Western New York 2-1-1 is a telephone and internet service that provides every resident of Erie, Niagara, Wyoming, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua Counties with 24-7 access to information about health and human services. So far, more than 23,000 people have been connected with information and referrals to services like financial or legal assistance, food, shelter, employment training and mental health. Check out more information at www. 211wny.org.

The Family Justice Center of Erie County provides comprehensive, one-stop services to victims of family violence. Services include police prosecutors, counselors, medical professionals and chaplains. Since it opened in 2006, the Center has served nearly 2,000 women and over 400 children. For more information, visit www.fjcsafe.org.

We also invest in an array of programs at local agencies that help connect seniors with their community and with the supports they need to be healthy and independent - from nutritious meals to daily contact with a caring volunteer. Click here for a list of program investments in wellness.