Volunteer group makes final payment — six years early — on $250,000 pledge for Teresa Adams House

QUINCY — The Blessing Volunteers in Partnership (BVIP), a volunteer group at Blessing Hospital that supports health-related causes, recently made its final payment on a $250,000 pledge that helped build the Teresa Adams House in Quincy — and made the last pledge payment considerably earlier than expected.

The Teresa Adams House replaced the 70-year-old Quincy Hospitality House to offer more modern, customer-friendly accommodations for patients and their loved ones seeking healthcare in the Quincy area from any provider. The Hospitality House board of directors launched a $2 million fundraising campaign for construction in May 2021. The Teresa Adams House was completed and welcomed its first guests in January 2023.

“It was a pledge to be honored over a 10-year time frame, and we’ve completed the pledge in a little under four years. We’re very pleased with that,” Donna McCain, president, BVIP, said in a press release. “We have a very enthusiastic group of volunteers and board members.”

The fact the BVIP completed its pledge six years early is significant because the economic impact of COVID reduced the group’s income in the early part of its pledge period. The BVIP’s largest source of income is operation of the Tea Room Restaurant and Gift Shop inside Blessing Hospital. COVID restrictions significantly reduced the Tea Room’s customer base for an extended period.

McCain said the BVIP fulfilled its pledge early through Blessing employee support of the Tea Room —when the public couldn’t use it during COVID restrictions — by adding new sources of revenue, including a monthly online scrub sale for staff and by reducing its operational costs to strengthen its revenue for donation.

“The Blessing Volunteers in Partnership played a key role in developing the original Hospitality House, and wanted very much to be a part of the new house,” said Wendy Gunn, board president of the Teresa Adams House. “They understood the dedication and efforts put forth by the volunteers and the committees that worked so hard to make the dream of a Teresa Adams House a reality.  When volunteers help volunteers, there is no limit to what can be accomplished.”

In total, more than $2.3 million was donated to the construction of the Teresa Adams House by individuals and organizations.

The BVIP’s support of other health-related initiatives over the years has totaled more than $2.3 million and has included a $1 million pledge to construct the Moorman Pavilion patient tower at Blessing Hospital and a $750,000 pledge to construct the Blessing Cancer Center.