Palatine’s Salute Inc. launches new campaign

For nearly a decade, Palatine-based Salute Inc. has tried to meet the financial, physical and emotional needs of military service members, veterans and their families.

But as more troops come home, the nonprofit organization’s case managers can’t keep up with the requests for assistance to pay mortgages, rent, utility bills and even food.

To try and meet the demand, Salute Inc., which says there are 2.4 million veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, has launched an 11th Hour Campaign.

It started last week and will end Sunday, Nov. 11, on Veterans Day. The goal is to reach $50,000, and the group has a long way to go.

Salute Inc. works to raise awareness of the sacrifices of veterans and provide a safety net to ensure every military family is treated with honor and dignity. It claims that more than 565,000 veterans are caught in the massive Veterans Affairs backlog waiting for disability benefits, which could take up to a year to fulfill.

The group was founded in 2003 by Will and Mary Beth Beiersdorf of Arlington Heights. Shortly after Sept. 11, Will, a Naval Reservist, was called to active duty and deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for 13 months. The severe financial impact on his family came as a startling revelation to them.

They survived with the help, support and outpouring of love from family, friends, their church and their community. So when Will returned, the couple felt the need to help others experiencing similar hardships.

For more information or make a donation, call (847) 359-8811 or visit saluteinc.org.