SALUTE INC.’s Veterans Tree Returns to Ela Area Public Library

Throughout the month of November, local nonprofit SALUTE, INC. will once again co-sponsor an interactive display honoring local veterans at the Ela Area Public Library in Lake Zurich. Visitors can stop by the library and use the provided art supplies to decorate a picture of a veteran in their life. They can then hang the picture on a veterans’ tree for the remainder of the month.

There will also be an informational display on how the community can better support veterans returning home. This is the second year SALUTE and the Ela Area Public Library have cosponsored a veterans tree for the community.

“We are excited to be partnering with the Ela Area Public Library to bring back the veterans tree,” said SALUTE INC. Executive Director Mary Beth Beiersdorf. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for local families to remember and honor the veterans in their lives and educate the public about those who served in their communities. The tree has been a huge success in recent years, and we look forward to continuing the tradition this November.”

SALUTE INC. is a Palatine-based nonprofit dedicated to meeting the financial, physical and emotional needs of injured military service members, veterans and their families. SALUTE provides short-term financial assistance to cover rent or mortgage expenses, utility bills, car expenses or groceries.

The tree will be displayed through Dec. 2, and all can participate in the decorating or stop by to view the tree. There’s no need to be a cardholder to participate.

For details on the veterans tree event, visit eapl.libnet.info/event/11481172. To learn more about SALUTE, INC., visit saluteinc.org.

SALUTE INC. is a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Palatine that is dedicated to meeting the financial, physical and emotional needs of injured military service members, veterans and their families. Through a variety of fundraising efforts — including its group of charity runners, Team SALUTE — the organization provides service members and veterans with support for housing, utility bills, car expenses, groceries and other short-term financial needs. In 2022, SALUTE INC. was awarded the Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency, which is the highest level of transparency a nonprofit can receive from Candid, a company that rates how well nonprofits use their funds. They have also received a perfect 100% 4-Star rating by Charity Navigator.