"Our Condo Became a Gift"

Irwin and Ellen Welber are originally from the "snowbelt" of the Mohawk Valley in upstate New York. Irwin's career took their family to New Jersey, where he moved through various positions with Western Electric and Bell Laboratories to eventually become the president of Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, N.M. Ellen focused on raising their children. They have three sons, four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren who live throughout the country. Ellen also believed that giving back to the community was very important, so she became involved in volunteer work related to her nursing profession.

Westchester Gardens at The Plantation in Venice, Fla., became an attractive alternative to winter for Irwin and Ellen. They purchased their condo in 1989 and enjoyed it very much for three months each winter.

In 1997, the Welbers made a decision to move permanently to a continuous care retirement community, Galloway Ridge, in Pittsboro, N.C. Ellen is now 83, and Irwin is 84. They became what is known as "halfbacks" in their community-those who came from the north, retired to Florida and eventually moved halfway back north!

They enjoy North Carolina, and no longer felt the need to winter in Florida. In 2006, they decided to sell their condo in Venice, as it was getting expensive to maintain, and they no longer wanted the responsibility of a second home. It had been on the market for 22 months and, according to Irwin, they "received one insulting offer!" Irwin began to research the idea of contributing the condo to a charity.

The Welbers decided to donate their condo to Tidewell Hospice. They have had good experiences with the services provided by hospice. Irwin's mother was a hospice patient, and they had a good friend who was a hospice patient. They both felt strongly that they would like to support the work of Tidewell Hospice.

Irwin and Ellen know that they made a good decision. They know that Tidewell Hospice will use the proceeds from the sale of their condo to continue to provide the highest quality of care to patients and families dealing with advanced illness.