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August 8, 2020By Tanya Connor
The Catholic Free Press
Visitation House in Worcester is continuing its work with mothers and babies, thanks to Evelyn “Eve” Lindquist, executive director for 13 years, and her successor, Grace Cheffers.
Mrs. Lindquist, a mother and grandmother from St. Bernadette Parish in Northborough, officially retires Aug. 31.
Ms. Cheffers, a mother and grandmother from Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Winchendon, started July 1, said Deborah LeDoux, Visitation House marketing and communications director. She said Ms. Cheffers was friends with Ruth V. K. Pakaluk, who had envisioned Visitation House but died before it opened in 2005.
“It turned out to be a totally different experience than I thought it would be,” Mrs. Lindquist said of directing Visitation House. She said she knew in her mind that the home sheltered pregnant women in need, but didn’t understand the depth of it in her heart until she “saw what the house meant to these homeless women,” some of whom were considering abortion because of financial difficulties.
“They’re homeless by virtue of being rejected … not like they’re homeless street people,” she said. Some were kicked out by their parents for not getting an abortion; some fled an abusive boyfriend, some came for other reasons, she said.
“We’re a life raft for them,” Mrs. Lindquist said. “Women do have a choice. … An abortion, I don’t think, is much of a choice. … It’s very detrimental to the woman.” At Visitation House, there’s a happy ending.
“They learn … that we respect their decision to have the baby and we celebrate the births of these babies,” as the grandparents sometimes come to do too, she said.
The mothers’ stay at Visitation House is “a time-out in loving arms to re-navigate their future with a beautiful child,” said Christine Farmer, vice chairwoman of the board of directors. “I get choked up when I see Eve holding babies,” babies that might not be here if it were not for her.
To help mothers re-navigate, Mrs. Lindquist established the Higher Me Learning Center at Visitation House, to care for body, mind and spirit, Mrs. Farmer said. Mothers are taught about caring for their babies and themselves and prepared to re-enter the community as higher skilled workers.
“As we added more educational components and got grants to pay for those components,” Visitation House’s annual operating budget increased to more than $500,000, she said. Mrs. Lindquist said the budget was $150,000 per year when she arrived.
Stories from the early days tell of board members bringing their checkbooks to meetings to help make ends meet, Mrs. Farmer said. She said Mrs. Lindquist trusted that God would supply their needs and believed “the sky’s the limit,” and now the home is solvent, has savings and received a GuideStar gold rating as a nonprofit showing fiscal responsibility.
Mrs. Lindquist said she used her 30 years of experience in public relations, marketing and sales to promote Visitation House.
“I think she raised $5 million” for the home in her 13 years there, said Mrs. Farmer. She said Mrs. Lindquist reached out to individuals, parishes, and the community, raising awareness and soliciting donations – from baby bottles full of coins to grants to needed items.
This year the coronavirus has hurt fund raising, so Visitation House is conducting the “High Hopes Appeal” in honor of Mrs. Lindquist’s legacy, and has raised 70 percent of the $130,000 target in gifts and pledges, Mrs. LeDoux said. She said Emmanuel Radio plans to air testimonials about Mrs. Lindquist as the appeal concludes Aug. 31.
Mrs. Farmer said Mrs. Lindquist has been aided by her team: Mrs. LeDoux; Laurie Cahill, house manager, and Jennifer de De Mora, business manager.
“I see them as a team of angels,” Mrs. Farmer said. “And now with Grace (Cheffers) in the mix – this is great.”
The work doesn’t produce “instant gratification,” Mrs. Lindquist said, but she’s stayed in touch with some former residents and rejoiced in their achievements.
One, now doing well in healthcare work, came at 18, the minimum age for residents, she said. And Visitation House took care of its oldest resident, 44, during her difficult pregnancy.
Mrs. Lindquist said she was with one resident - Virginia Gallant (now Lippe) – when she gave birth to Theresa.
“I wasn’t even awake for my own children’s births,” Mrs. Lindquist said. In the 1960s “they knocked you out” with a spinal injection that left you less aware. “Experiencing Theresa come into the world was … an awesome miracle to me.”
As Ms. Lippe was moving on from Visitation House she became friends with Tereasa Gaudette, who was coming in, pregnant with Nevaeh (Heaven spelled backwards). Ms. Gaudette had Nevaeh, now 12, and her brother Vinny, now 16, baptized by Father Michael J. Roy, Visitation House chaplain. She chose Mrs. Lindquist for Nevaeh’s godmother and Ms. Lippe for Vinny’s godmother.
Ms. Gaudette said that before the coronavirus, she attended Masses at Visitation House a couple times a year and that she talks every few months with Mrs. Lindquist.
“She’ll go out of her way to make everything easier for us,” Ms. Gaudette said. “She’s so caring.… I’ve never seen her turn down anyone.”
Mrs. Lindquist said that when she came to Visitation House they could accommodate five women at once, but then they renovated the third floor, doubling the number, and eventually freed up space for a total of 12. Over the years they’ve served more than 600 mothers and babies, she said.
These women and Visitation House’s staff and supporters have become like family to her.
