Crisis Center for South Suburbia Receives $20k COVID-19 Grant

TINLEY PARK, IL — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) has awarded the Crisis Center for South Suburbia a $20,000 grant as part of BCBSIL’s latest round of giving aimed at helping the helpers. The grant comes as a way to ease the ongoing needs of Illinoisian created by COVID-19, according to a news release from the center.

“For 42 years, the Crisis Center for South Suburbia has impacted the lives of more than 60,000 survivors of domestic violence. Like other non-profits, the technology tools we need to operate some of our programs remotely were not something we could easily access,” said Yvonne McDonald-Hames, Associate Executive Director. “The grant from BCBSIL changed that.”

According to the release, the grant will be used to purchase new web-based case management software and other tools, so court advocates can obtain e-signatures from domestic violence survivors who need orders of protection. Last year, the Crisis Center helped file 679 orders of protection – and 94 percent of those were granted, the release states.

The release states that 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.

“A year into the pandemic and the health, economic and social impacts around Illinois are still great,” said Harmony Harrington, vice-president of 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.”

The Crisis Center for South Suburbia supports victims of domestic violence in Chicago’s Southland communities. It provides a 24-hour hotline, emergency shelter, housing, counseling, advocacy and prevention/education programs. Learn more about the center on its website.

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