Building Community-Driven Cancer Equity in Chicago

Across the cancer care continuum, meaningful progress happens when communities are not simply included in conversations, but actively shape them.

That belief is at the center of GCCA’s collaboration with ALAS-WINGS, a GCCA member organization based in Chicago dedicated to supporting Hispanic and Latina women affected by breast cancer through culturally relevant education, emotional support, and advocacy.

For GCCA, this relationship reflects a broader commitment to ensuring that patient voices, especially those from historically underserved communities, are heard, represented, and supported in ways that are culturally relevant and community led.

Founded by a Latina breast cancer survivor, ALAS-WINGS provides free, Spanish-language programs ranging from educational workshops and support groups to mental health services and patient navigation. Its strength lies not only in the services it provides, but also in the deep trust it has built within the communities it serves.

“At ALAS-WINGS, we believe that access to reliable, culturally relevant information in Spanish can make a meaningful difference,” says Judy Guitelman, Executive Director and Founder of ALAS-WINGS. “We are excited for the opportunity to continue bringing resources, education, and support to our community.”

“ALAS-WINGS brings something incredibly valuable to the GCCA community: a deep understanding of the people it serves and the trust it has built with them,” says Nicole Sheahan, President of GCCA. “When member organizations share their expertise, connections, and community perspective, we all become better equipped to address the barriers that can prevent people from accessing the information and care they need.”

GCCA and ALAS-WINGS were first connected through Pfizer, and GCCA is grateful for the introduction that helped bring these two organizations together. Since then, the relationship has grown into a broader collaboration focused on education, advocacy, and connections across the cancer community.

Expanding Colorectal Cancer Education

One important area of collaboration is the expansion of patient education. ALAS-WINGS is beginning to integrate colorectal cancer awareness into its existing programs, while continuing its longstanding focus on supporting breast cancer survivors and their families.

This includes incorporating colorectal cancer screening questions into patient engagement and expanding education to cover key topics such as risk factors, symptoms, and the importance of screening.

This approach recognizes that patients do not experience cancer in isolation. By building on trusted relationships within breast cancer support spaces, ALAS-WINGS is helping introduce colorectal cancer awareness in a way that is approachable, relevant, and grounded in trust.

The organizations are also collaborating on educational events with Northwestern GI oncologist Dr. Gladys Rodriguez. In March, ALAS-WINGS Community Health Workers participated in a colorectal cancer basics training. In May, Dr. Rodriguez presented a Spanish-language colorectal cancer educational webinar to the ALAS-WINGS patient community.

GCCA supports this work by helping ensure that colorectal cancer resources are not only translated into Spanish, but also culturally adapted. This includes aligning language, tone, and context with the realities of the communities being served so that information is both understandable and meaningful.

Strengthening Connections Across the Cancer Community

The partnership also includes strengthening connections across GCCA’s global network. GCCA has recommended expert speakers for ALAS-WINGS’ patient education series and facilitated introductions to patient advocacy organizations across Latin America, particularly breast cancer groups. These connections create opportunities for shared learning and collaboration across regions.

Partnership is not only about strategy. It is also about presence.

As part of this collaboration, Jeanette Gonzales, Program Consultant at ALAS-WINGS, participated in the FUTEJE 5K Run Against Colorectal Cancer, organized by FUTEJE, a member of GCCA’s Patient Advocacy Mentorship Program. This engagement reflects the importance of building relationships through shared experiences and community connection.

Advancing Equity Through Collaboration

The collaboration between GCCA and ALAS-WINGS demonstrates the value of connecting organizations with complementary strengths and trusted relationships.

For GCCA, partnerships with community-based organizations like ALAS-WINGS are essential to advancing global cancer equity. Community organizations are often closest to the realities patients face every day, from language barriers to gaps in access to care and information. Supporting and connecting these organizations helps ensure that cancer education and advocacy efforts are grounded in real community needs.

As a GCCA member organization, ALAS-WINGS brings an important community perspective to the GCCA network. Together, the organizations are helping create stronger connections between breast and colorectal cancer communities, expand access to culturally relevant information, and support more inclusive approaches to cancer advocacy.

GCCA is proud to work alongside ALAS-WINGS and organizations around the world that are helping build a more connected, equitable cancer community.