Shawnee Alliance to Receive Governor's Engaging Aging Award

CARTERVILLE, Ill. - Shawnee Alliance has been selected to receive the Governor's Engaging Aging Award, the Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA) announced Wednesday. IDoA Director Paula Basta will present the award during a special ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 2 at 3 p.m. at Shawnee Alliance, located at 6355 Brandhorst Drive in Carterville.

"Vaccines are the key to ending this pandemic and giving senior Illinoisans, as well as their families, peace of mind. In the midst of an extremely challenging year, Shawnee Alliance stepped up to make the vaccination process as easy as possible for older adults and their caregivers," said Governor JB Pritzker. "I am grateful for their work to help our most vulnerable residents access life-saving vaccines, and I congratulate Shawnee Alliance on receiving this well-deserved award."

The Governor's Engaging Aging Award recognizes community organizations that have gone above and beyond to make a positive impact in the lives of older adults over the past year. Recipients are nominated by Illinois' 13 Area Agencies on Aging.

"During COVID, our aging services providers had to quickly adapt the ways they serve and support older adults, and Shawnee Alliance went above the call of duty in doing so," said Paula Basta, Director of IDoA. "While continuing to provide their usual services, they worked to make sure people most in need were given an opportunity to be vaccinated early on, and never let transportation be a barrier to getting the vaccine. It's my honor to present the Governor's Engaging Aging Award to Shawnee Alliance for their thoughtful and effective approach to COVID-19 vaccination efforts."

Nominated by the Egyptian Area Agency on Aging, Shawnee Alliance will be honored with a 2021 Governor's Engaging Aging Award for their efforts to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to older adults in more than a dozen southern Illinois counties. According to Becky Salazar, Executive Director of the Egyptian Area Agency on Aging, Shawnee Alliance contracted with transportation companies to ensure older adults could get to and from vaccine clinics, and they found in-home vaccination avenues for several counties. Partnering with IDoA and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Shawnee Alliance participated in scheduled vaccine clinics in Alexander and Union counties and worked to promote vaccinations for minority populations and identified vulnerable adults. When local senior centers and congregate meal sites temporarily closed to slow the spread of COVID-19, the organization also partnered with local restaurants to ensure hot meals were available to older adults facing food insecurity.

For more information about Shawnee Alliance, please visit https://www.shawneehealth.com/locations/shawnee-alliance/. For information about IDoA's programs and services for older adults and persons with disabilities, visit https://www2.illinois.gov/aging/programs/Pages/default.aspx or contact the Senior HelpLine toll-free at 1-800-252-8966, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.