Bringing a little light through song

GOSHEN, Ind.-- One woman went out of her way to share her gift of song with residents who are feeling the effects of isolation in Goshen.

Julia James is a singer, song writer, and entertainer from Elkhart who has been singing since she was just 2-years-old singing at Greencroft Nursing Facility in Goshen with her grandmother.

Since then she has used her God-given talent to sing for a living to help share light and love through song.

Recently, as we have been settling into this new normal with the coronavirus, James wanted to reach out to her grandmother as she lives in the independent living side of Greencroft.

When she asked her grandmother how she and the other residents were doing after being isolated from not only their families but from the other residents as well “She was just saying how a lot of residents were struggling with depression" says James, "and are just down a lot of residents are split up between the nursing side and the independent living side and can’t see each other.”

And after realizing the need in her own community and having a friend, Alex Ratkovich who works as a social worker at the Courtyard Nursing Facility, reach out on Facebook asking for help to bring some smiles to her residents--James was motivated to act.

Gathering her speakers, keyboard, mic and stand James took to the humble courtyard of both nursing homes and sang to their residents.

“It just gave me warm fuzzies in a dark time" says James.

“And she sang for like an hour and a half probably" says Ratkovich who was able to witness James' singing.

"The residents were all lined up inside just watching her and she couldn’t hear it but we were all clapping my staff was crying my residents were crying she sang such beautiful songs.”

The day was not only special to these residents and their staff who listened from the safety of their own rooms with the windows open, but for the singer as well.

"I loved that ability and I was really blessed to have it in that moment and I plan on doing it some more" says James.