The Mary Greeley Medical Center Hospice House got its first major donation of $500,000 in August. This gift was a start toward the $2 million needed to build a new hospice house.

Joanne Tedesco, the president of the MGMC Foundation Board of Directors, announced the gift from Warren and Mary Israel at the hospital’s Board of Trustees meeting.

The Foundation is conducting a “community partnership” campaign to raise the rest of the funds with Gillian Draper, Fred Miller and Jim Stephenson as co-chairs.

As Ames residents and owners of Home Furniture and Appliances since 1954, the Israels said they made the donation because they wanted to help their community.

“We have been blessed to be part of this wonderful community; it’s our wish now to give something back to Ames. Our gift is to help others in need through this hospice house,” Warren Israel said in a press release.

In 1977, he served as president of the Ames Chamber of Commerce and as fund-raising co-chair for the Heartland Senior Center Adult Day Center.

In recognition of their gift, the facility will be named The Israel Family Hospice House.

President and chief executive officer of Mary Greeley Kim Russel said, “We are extremely appreciative of this gift and take great pride in naming our new hospice house after the Israel family.”

The 12-bed Israel Family Hospice House is to be completed in the fall of 1998 and managed by MacVey.

It will provide the option for terminally ill individuals to live the remainder of their lives in a peaceful setting with the support of family.

Since 1987, MGMC’s home health care department known as HOMEWARD has been providing Medicare certified hospice services.

Cheryl MacVey, a registered nurse at Homeward Hospice, said Homeward Hospice’s mission is to provide physical, social, spiritual and emotional care to help terminally ill patients live as actively as possible.

The group also helps to support the families of the patients through the death process and time of bereavement.

For more information about supporting the Israel Family Hospice House, call (515) 239-2180.