HOLYOKE — When Laurie Beaudette’s father was a resident at the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke, two events always made his day.
“Visits from the therapy dogs were number one,” Beaudette recalled, “but his close second was when they delivered cards from the elementary students.
“You would have thought they’d given my father a million dollars,” she said.
Beaudette’s father, James Mandeville, died of COVID-19 at the Soldiers’ Home in May. He was one of the facility’s 77 veteran residents who died of the disease amid a severe outbreak that prompted state and federal investigations into decisions and management issues that allowed COVID-19 to spread among staff and residents.
After an exceedingly difficult year, students from Westhampton, Williamsburg and Enfield, Connecticut came together in hopes of brightening Valentine’s Day for the Soldiers’ Home residents with boxes full of cards.
On Wednesday afternoon, students and staff from St. Bernard School in Enfield joined Beaudette to deliver the cards outside of the Soldiers’ Home.
One student, sixth grader Will Lord, said he hopes the cards will show the veterans “they have support from the community, and that they have someone with them spiritually so they’re not alone.”
First grader Ellery Baker said she wanted to make the cards for the veteran residents “to make them feel happy,” while fourth grader Charlotte Meissen said she wanted to show the residents that she feels grateful for them.
Ann Chaput, the school nurse at Westhampton Elementary School, also felt a personal connection to the project. Her father-in-law, Jack Chaput, also died of COVID-19 at the Soldiers’ Home, and she knew that the cards also meant a lot to him.
“My husband said he remembers his dad getting valentines when he was here and how happy it made him,” Chaput said, “so I’m hoping to bring some joy to (the residents). I hope it brings a smile to their faces, so they know people care about them and love them.”
The project felt particularly meaningful amid the isolation that the COVID-19 pandemic has imposed upon residents, the organizers said.
The valentines delivery followed a Saturday announcement by the Soldiers’ Home that, after a period where in-person visitation was disallowed due to the pandemic, the facility will reopen visitation for veterans and loved ones.
In Westhampton, students made the cards as part of an art class taught by teacher Natalee Dias. St. Bernard School teachers Kerry Meissenn and Jessica Parker, as well as principal Charlene Mongillo also assisted students with the project.
Jacquelyn Voghel can be reached at jvoghel@gazettenet.com.