PLAQUEMINE - At Legacy Nursing and Rehabilitation, the months of lockdown for their residents have been anything but easy.

"We have worked really, really hard to try to keep them uplifted and not feel isolated from their loved ones," Sherly Albin, Legacy's Director of Community Relations said.

As the moratorium on nursing home visitors continues indefinitely, that task is becoming much harder, which is why Legacy's activities director came up with the idea to look for pen pals for the residents. The campaign was launched on Facebook earlier this week.

"The response has just been phenomenal," Albin said. "Like we've never expected."

That post featuring some of Legacy's residents holding signs introducing themselves and their favorite things has made the rounds on social media, shared nearly 400 times. Days later, the letters are pouring in.

"They get just so excited waiting for the mail to come," Albin said. "You would think that something, you know, so simple, would not be as special. But for somebody that's been in their position, that's kind of been isolated from the outside world in excess of four months now, they're just so joyful."

Some of those letters have arrived from out of state, including Arkansas and California. However, it's not just notes arriving for residents, but also gifts, masks, and even snacks.

"They're so appreciative of the smallest things," Albin said.

As Legacy looks forward to more handwritten letters, some residents plan to start writing back. Albin says the kind words of strangers makes all the difference.

"The 15 minutes that it may take you to write a letter, you might change somebody's life for the remainder of their life," Albin said. "If you really form a true, old fashioned, pen pal relationship,"

If you are interested in writing a letter or two, mail them to the address below:

Current Resident

(Male/Female)

Legacy Nursing & Rehab

59215 River West Drive

Plaquemine, LA 70764