SALUTE, INC., Area Nonprofit Dedicated to Financial Support for Injured Veterans, Celebrates 20th Anniversary
In 2001, shortly after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, local Naval Reservist Will Beiersdorf was called to active duty and deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In his year-plus absence, his wife Mary Beth dealt with the fear of the unknown and financial stress of raising three young children on her own. Before long, family, friends, and neighbors stepped up in countless ways to provide assistance and support.
Shortly after Will's return, the young couple wanted to do something to express their thanks and pay forward the attention and care they had received. So, in 2003, SALUTE, INC. was established to raise and distribute funds to other military families in need.
Since that time, SALUTE has provided $6.6 million in direct, short-term support to injured military personnel and their families, touching the lives of more than 20,000 families in some way. This year, SALUTE, INC., still going strong, will celebrate its 20th anniversary.
This is not, however, a story of an organization that grew and grew into a larger entity. Mary Beth still serves as Executive Director of SALUTE but does so out of humble offices in Palatine along with a small professional staff. Together they guide a team of countless dedicated volunteers and take guidance from a committed Board of Directors as a formal 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
"We have always been a grassroots organization," Mary Beth said. "We want the generous donations we receive from individuals, families, corporations, and other entities to simply be used to help those in need."
Don't mistake the humility for a limited vision. As SALUTE has grown in reputation, it has partnered with some of the leading healthcare providers in the country including the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, the Road Home program at Rush, Emory Healthcare, Home Base Program at Boston Mass General, and UCLA Health.
"So much of what we do is breaking down barriers to care," Beiersdorf explained. "Many of our clients don't know where to turn for the specialized care they need or run into the bureaucratic obstacles that can stop them short of getting proper treatment. Our case workers step in and find solutions that get these veterans where they need to be."
Those obstacles are often financial, as in some cases treatment requires a temporary move to a new city or perhaps a 14-day intensive program that requires those with jobs to step away for a while.
Beiersdorf said that SALUTE doesn't pay for the treatment, but rather uses the donations it receives to help pay rent or a mortgage for a month or two so the client can invest the time in the treatment they need, or perhaps pay for utilities or groceries for the family so they can collectively focus on healing.
As a small but nimble team, SALUTE has developed a variety of fundraising initiatives that help further the cause while engaging donors in fun and meaningful ways. An annual fundraising party for donors is always sold-out, their Memorial Day weekend 5K/10K run and 1-mile walk and charity golf tournament are also popular events in the suburbs. The Associate Board, comprised of young professionals, hosts an annual fundraising party at unique locations, and under the direction of Sue Hussey, Team SALUTE provides training and guaranteed entries into the Chicago Marathon for what the organization refers to as charity runners who gather pledges in exchange for the marathon experience.
On Feb. 25, SALUTE will host its annual fundraiser, this year at Meridian Banquets featuring dinner, a silent auction, wine pull, and live music from Midwest favorites Mike & Joe.
"This will be a special gathering as we look back on 20 years of building meaningful relationships with donors, sponsors, volunteers, and clients," Beiersdorf said. "We hope to celebrate all we have accomplished and remind everyone that there are still more veterans who continue to need our help."
As part of the 20th anniversary, SALUTE is inviting new donors to get acquainted with the organization by visiting saluteinc.org or attending an event. They are asking people to acknowledge the anniversary by making a $20 donation this year.
"We are grateful to those who make larger donations but for people who want to get to know us, we'd welcome the $20 that we can put to use this year. It's a fun way to get acquainted and as hard as we work to serve our clients, we have always been about having fun. We couldn't do this for 20 years if we didn't enjoy the process."
SALUTE, INC. is a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Palatine, Illinois 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 2020, SALUTE, INC. was awarded the GuideStar 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.