April 1, 2021 & Matteson, IL – To help ease the ongoing needs of Illinoisans created by the COVID-19 pandemic, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) has awarded Sisters Working It Out a $20,000 grant as part of BCBSIL’s latest round of giving aimed at helping the helpers.

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BCBSIL’s Grant will fuel SWIO’s efforts and success as a trailblazer in the fight against COVID-19. SWIO’s leadership shared what this grant means to them - “We recognize that COVID-19 has affected some communities more than others, and we have stepped up to address these disparities. We are incredibly grateful for this funding because we are an advocate for the communities we serve and strive for not only absence of disease, but good health and well-being at a community level.”

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BCBSIL selected 175 organizations across Illinois with missions focused on access to care, hunger, shelter and behavioral health care, and COVID-19 health education and vaccine access to receive $20,000 grants as part of its COVID-19 Community Collaboration Fund.

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“A year into the pandemic and the health, economic and social impacts around Illinois are still great,” said Harmony Harrington, vice-president government and community relations for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois. “We’re proud to be able to help so many organizations increase their capacity to help more people receive the help they need.”

See the full list of grantees.

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Sisters Working It Out (SWIO) is a breast cancer awareness and health advocacy organization based in the south suburbs of Chicago. Our mission is to serve, educate, and empower women of color as well as connect them to quality preventive health services. SWIO provides compassionate care and support to women across the cancer continuum from outreach and screening through survivorship. 

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About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois 

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) is committed to expanding access to quality, cost-effective health care to as many people as possible in Illinois. BCBSIL is dedicated to innovation and exploring, nurturing and activating future possibilities to make the health care system work better for our members and our communities.