LAI Web Portal Guide
- Lindsay Gramana
- Jan 15
- 7 min read
We're so happy you're writing with us!
Here are some tips to help you get comfortable using our web portal, so you can get your letters into the hands of seniors as quickly, easily and smoothly as possible.
GETTING REGISTERED
Register as a volunteer on our website to gain access to mailing addresses.
You'll mail your correspondence directly to our partner care homes and senior programs, where staff will review and distribute the letters to their seniors.
Facility requests & addresses are located in our secure web portal, where they are updated regularly. We only share the portal link with registered volunteers. Therefore, the link is not accessible to the public through our website.
Registering with LAI automatically enrolls you in our weekly email newsletter, where we share news, special requests and photos of letters and events.
Tip: Write first, then pledge |
This is essential to how our organization operates:
This helps you commit to the exact number of letters you're able to send while responding to a current request. It also keeps letters flowing regularly to our partner facilities, so every senior receives the mail they're looking forward to. |
ACCESSING THE PORTAL
You'll find a link to the portal in your Welcome Email (auto-generated after you register) as well as in our weekly Sunday e-newsletters. Check your spam / updates / promotions / junk folders if you don’t easily find our messages. Bookmark the site for quick access. Please don't give out the portal address to unregistered volunteers.
You do not need to create a new username or password to use our portal. Instead, we use a secure sign-in system that verifies your identity using an account you already have with Apple, Google (Gmail), or Microsoft (Outlook/Hotmail).
Just click the button for the account you want to use, and you’ll be signed in quickly and safely.
Tip: Avoid common login issues and ensure we can support you quickly if you ever need assistance. |
1. Use a personal email address (like Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo). Work and school email accounts often block access to outside platforms like ours, which may prevent you from logging in. |
2. Avoid Apple’s “Hide My Email” feature. This option creates a random, hidden email address. If you ever need help, we may not be able to find your account or verify your identity. |
3. Use the same login every time. The portal recognizes users by email address only — not by name. If you switch between accounts (e.g., using Google one day and Apple the next), the system will treat you as a new user. |
GETTING STARTED IN THE PORTAL
When you log into the portal for the first time - or if you need help using any page at any time - use the TOUR feature. It’s a gray button with a graduation cap icon and the word "Tour.” It is located near the top right corner of every page. The tour starts automatically upon your first visit and highlights important areas of each page with pop-up cues. Each pop-up box explains the purpose of specific buttons or sections. Click "Next" to move on to the next item on the tour. We hope you find this to be an easy way to learn how to navigate and use the portal.
FACILITY DETAILS
You may send your correspondence to any facility with an active, unfulfilled letter request.
Click the SEARCH FACILITIES tab (clipboard icon) to see a list of our partner facilities and the number of letters requested at each location. Each card represents a different facility, with details like:
Facility Name
Category (such as Nursing Home, Assisted Living Facility, Meals on Wheels, etc.) - click on the category for detailed descriptions
Location (city, state/province, country)
Language (pink tag for English, blue tag for any other language)
Country flag
Heart icon (designating your favorite facilities)
Envelope icon (designating the current number of letters needed)
White cards indicate the facility still needs letters. If a location is green, this indicates that all letter requests have been fulfilled for the current cycle.
Tip: You’re not expected to write all the letters a facility needs. |
For example, if a facility needs 87 letters, you can pledge 10 letters. Other volunteers will claim the remaining letters. Only sign up for the number of letters which you have written and ready to mail. |
NARROWING YOUR OPTIONS: FILTER FEATURES & WORLD MAP
To narrow your destination options by criteria such as location, language or facility type, check out the FILTER option on the SEARCH FACILITIES tab. You can also use this feature to identify facilities labeled as High Priority. These places have not received their requested number of letters over the past few weeks and could use a little extra love. Click on the FILTER ICON to seek out a specific facility type, new facilities or special events/birthdays.
After selecting your preferences, click the APPLY button to see facilities that match your criteria.
If you wish to send your letters to a specific state, country or province, you can also click on the WORLD MAP tab (globe icon) to access a color-coded map. Choose a country and click on a region to be directed to a list of facilities specific to your chosen location.
VIEWING YOUR LETTER PLEDGES & ADDRESSES
Once you've pledged to send letters to a location, each facility's card will appear in the MY SIGNUPS tab (envelope with heart icon). This is where you’ll find mailing addresses and keep track of your commitments:
White cards show locations where your pledged letters haven’t been mailed yet.
Yellow cards are past due. Please send those letters as soon as possible.
Green cards mean you’ve marked your letters as sent. Thank you!
The golden envelope icon displays the number of letters still to be mailed for each location.
Beneath each address, you’ll see the final mailing deadline... but don’t wait! Please send your letters shortly after pledging so seniors receive them on time and facilities can plan accordingly.
MAILING YOUR LETTERS
Kindly mail your letters as soon as possible after signing up, and within the current cycle dates indicated on both the STATISTICS and the SEARCH FACILITIES tabs. The portal is updated every two weeks (a “cycle”), so if you try to sign up and there are no letter requests available, don’t worry: a new cycle with thousands of fresh opportunities will be available to our amazing volunteers every other Sunday!
MARKING YOUR LETTERS AS SENT
After mailing your correspondence, be sure to UPDATE your pledges to indicate that your letters have been SENT. This is a crucial step, as our records must be as accurate as possible when we apply for funding and grants as a non-profit organization.
Here’s what to do:
Sign in to the portal.
Go to the MY SIGNUPS tab.
On each of your pledge cards, click the button Update Letters Sent.
In the View/Edit Signup box, look for the field labeled Total Number of Letters Sent.
Type the number of letters you sent. It should match the box on the right, labeled Number of Letters Pledged.
Click Update at the bottom (do NOT click Delete).
Your pledge cards will turn green, indicating that you have sent all of your letters.
Tip: Prep your letters for mailing before you pledge |
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Keep it simple! To save time and to help LAI maintain accurate records, have your letters counted and your envelopes ready before you log into the portal. Pledge, address your envelopes and mark them as SENT in the portal — all in one sitting. |
WHAT TO WRITE / WHAT TO NOT WRITE
Here are some basic guidelines to help ensure your letters meet our standards (and our seniors' expectations):
Please DO NOT write about health, politics, religion (including Bible verses) or religious holidays (such as Christmas or Easter).
Letters should be at least five meaningful sentences long, not counting your introduction and closing. If you need examples, feel free to email us and we’ll be happy to provide them.
By “meaningful,” we mean share a bit about yourself! You can write about your family, pets, hobbies, where you live, your favorite foods or anything else you might wish to share with someone who doesn’t know you. There are endless topics to choose from, and this is the easiest way to spark a connection with your reader!
Ask at least one question to show interest in the reader and give them something to think about. (One question is plenty to invite the reader into your story. We don’t expect the reader to respond.)
Begin with “Dear Friend” or “Greetings from [your location].” End with something such as “Your friend” or “Thinking of you” or “Sending Hugs and Smiles” - whatever feels right for you. Please remember to sign your first name so your correspondence will feel more personal to each recipient.
Use dark ink on light or white paper to make your letter easy to read. You can add a colorful border, doodles or stickers - just be sure these decorations don’t interfere with your text.
Please use large lettering as many of our seniors may have visual limitations. Your words should be at least as tall as your pinky fingernail.
Please DO NOT type one letter, make copies and send that same letter to multiple seniors. Residents like to “share and compare” their correspondence, so sending 20 identical letters makes them impersonal and less special.
Make sure you have enough postage for your letters before mailing them.
Quality over quantity: Focus on making your letters personal and heartfelt rather than trying to write many, many letters which will not be meaningful.
YOU’VE GOT THIS!
We hope these tips are helpful! It’s normal to feel a little overwhelmed at first, but writing these letters should be fun and stress-free. For most of us, it’s been a deeply fulfilling experience and we hope you find the same joy.
We can assure you that using the portal becomes much easier with practice - it often takes less time to sign up than it does to read all these directions!
If you have further questions, please review our Frequently Asked Questions section. If you can't find your answer, email Paula for support.
THANK YOU for helping LAI in its mission to “Bring Joy to Seniors….One Letter at a Time.”
