Ela Library collects letters for wounded troops

The Ela Area Public Library in Lake Zurich wraps up its letter-writing campaign for the military this weekend.

As part of military appreciation month, the library has been collecting letters for wounded soldiers throughout the month of May. The library is working with Silver Star Families of America, a nonprofit organization that works to support wounded service members.

"We support the wounded and the ill and the dying veteran that has been to combat and was wounded in a combat area," said Sunshine Roth, national secretary for Silver Star Families of America.

Letters are collected at the library's information desk and should be addressed "Dear Wounded Warrior" or "Dear American Hero." Letters can be dropped off through Sunday and do not need an envelope or postage.

"When a soldier is in a hospital or incapacitated, (a letter) truly, truly picks up their spirit," Roth said.

Terri Meyer, adult program coordinator for the library, said many of the letters they have collected came from teachers and their classes or from Boy and Girl scouts.

Letter writers have the option to stay in contact with the soldier the letter reaches, if the soldier is looking for a pen pal.

Reading letters from the children may brighten the day of some wounded soldiers.

"They're very sweet letters, they draw pictures," Meyer said.

The letters get to the soldiers when Roth picks them up and delivers them to the North Chicago Veterans Affairs Medical Center, or mails them to other area veterans affairs centers.

Roth said her husband is a veteran of the Vietnam War and has said it would have been nice to have a program like this during his service.

Meyer said the library will continue to work with organizations like Silver Star Families of America and will likely host another letter writing campaign in the fall.

"The more people that we can get involved, the better, not just for us but to make them aware (of wounded veterans)," Roth said.