With a grant from the Tyler Area Community Foundation, Avera Tyler and Avera@Home Southwest Minnesota were able to update a hospital room for hospice patients. Improvements include fresh paint, new artwork, and a comfortable sofa sleeper for family members to stay close to loved ones. There’s also a lift chair for patients who are able to sit up.
“These updates have made a meaningful impact by creating a more comforting environment for patients and families during the hospice journey,” said Melissa Maranell, Agency Manager for Avera@Home.
Avera@Home hospice care provides 24/7 support to patients in the final stages of life’s journey. The grant was awarded last December, with work completed in spring 2025. Each year, dozens of people receive hospice care at Avera Tyler.
“We wanted to support the hospice program in Tyler because we knew that the dollars would not only help the patients be more comfortable but also their families and loved ones,” said Tim O’Leary, who serves as board chair for the Tyler Area Community Foundation.
Making Tyler a little bit better
Our network of 31 community foundations supports passionate people with the resources to make positive change. A team of local advisory board members guides each community foundation by fundraising, recommending grants, telling stories of good work happening locally and promoting their town.
Tim joined the Tyler Area Community Foundation board 2004 and has served a total of 15 years. When he started, the local community foundation had seen most of its board members retire and was in a rebuilding phase. It’s in a similar cycle now and recently welcomed a whole slate of new board members.
“We’ve been doing a lot of meetings to get new board members up to speed,” Tim said.
Since inception, the Tyler Area Community Foundation and its related funds have granted more than $568,000 to support local organizations and community projects, including the school district, local food shelf, swimming pool renovations, and the remodeling of the Tyler Golf Clubhouse to serve as a recreational asset in the community.
“It’s nice to see projects in the community be supported, whether the golf course or the downtown community sign. It makes the community a little bit better place to live,” Tim said.
Give Where You Live
Support your local community foundation or another fund that benefits a cause you care about close to home. See a full list of our partner funds in southwest Minnesota.
