Category Archives: News

31 Jul

Signing up as an organ and tissue donor is a first, and a heroic, step towards saving lives. Being a donor allows you to save 8 and change up to 75 lives. But you might be looking for more ways to help.

Once you’ve signed up if you’re looking for more ways to help support organ donation and increasing the Donate Life California registry consider a few of the below. Some will take time or money, but most of them just take you sharing your story of why you decided to become a donor.

Talk to Your Family & Friends

After you’ve decided to become an organ donor a great way to support the cause is to talk to your friends and family about your decision. Starting this conversation with the people close to you helps bring organ donation to the front of their minds. Talking to with them about why you made your decision might just encourage them to sign up as well. And for them to share their own story, creating a ripple effect of supporting organ donation.

On top of sharing your support for organ donation, these conversations can help ensure your family knows your wishes if the situation will arise. Even when you’re on the donor registry it’s still important for your family to know what’s important for you if a time comes to make a decision.

Great Ways To Help Is By Sharing Your Story

Telling family and friends why you decided to become an organ donor is a great step but how can you go bigger? Think about ways to share your story beyond just your family.

Take a few minutes and create a social media post in support of organ donation and why you are a donor. Pop over to our Facebook page and feel free to share any of our images or stories.

Has donation touched your life in ways more than just signing up as a donor? Consider sharing that with a group you’re involved in. With a class you’re taking. Or with your co-workers.

Telling the story of why donation is important to you and why you signed up as a donor to encourage others to follow in your footsteps.

Help Others Register

A great way to help us increase the donor registry is hosting an eCampaign. What’s that? It’s a free tool that allows you to promote organ donation to your community and help register donors.

With just a few steps you can share your campaign on social media or email it out to your connections. Find out about starting an eCampaign today!

Become A Volunteer

Get beyond your own network and volunteer to share about the impact organ donation can save lives within your community. Consider becoming a Donate Life Ambassador. You can represent Donate Life at community events, local DMV offices, and during presentations. Learn how you can volunteer with Donate Life.

Make A Donation

Another way to continue to support Donate Life California and our efforts to increase the donor registry is making a financial contribution. Your gifts, of any size, help us reach more individuals around the state on why it is important for them to join the registry. As well as helping us to thank and honor donors and their families.

If you’re considering supporting Donate Life California with a gift click here for more information. You can also consider selecting Donate Life California as your Amazon Smile recipient, where you can shop like normal and support organ donation!

17 Jul

By
Administrator

in
News

Every Community Has Opportunity – How You Can Save A Life!

What does ECHO stand for? Every Community Has Opportunity. July is host to the National #DonateLifeECHO campaign.

What does this mean? It is a belief that each message and story can be carried or echoed through a community when someone shares their decision of registering as an organ, eye, and tissue donor.

Why is it important? California is the most diverse state in the country, giving us a unique ability to increase multicultural registrations in order to save lives around the nation. Currently, only 32% of donors come from a multicultural background but 58% of those on the waiting list are as well. While not every case requires a match of ethnic backgrounds, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) “successful transplantation often is enhanced by the matching of organs between members of the same ethnic and racial group.”

Signing up as an organ and tissue donor can save not just one but up to eight lives, and change even more. Learn about some of the stories of hope from the #DonateLifeECHO campaign including Christopher, a young man who received a heart transplant that saved his life here.

What can you do to help save lives? The first step to help saves lives is becoming an organ donor yourself! If you’ve already done so, thank you, if you haven’t yet taken this step click here where you can register as organ and tissue donor.

Now that you’ve signed up as a donor, join is with the #DonateLifeECHO campaign where you can multiply your impact to save lives by doing something as simple as letting your friends know you’ve decided to become a donor. Remember, Every Community Has Opportunity to save lives.

Consider sharing a post on social media and use the hashtag #DonateLifeEcho, making a 30-second video and sharing it with your network, or bring in donuts to the office with a note on why they should consider becoming a donor.

As we continue to expand the organ and tissue donor registry in California and around the nation we’ll be able to close the gap and ensure that everyone on the waitlist, no matter their backgrounds, have access to the organs they need.

Find out more about the #DonateLifeEcho at DonateLife.net.

19 Apr

By
Administrator

in
News Press Release

New CEO Takes Reins at Donate Life California

West Sacramento, Calif., April 19, 2017 – Long-time Sacramento resident Jim Martin has been named the new CEO of Donate Life California, the nonprofit organization that administers the official state registry for organ, eye and tissue donors.

“With 14 million registrants, California has the largest organ, eye, and tissue donor registry in the world, but currently less than half the population of our state has signed up,” notes Monica Johnson, president of the Donate Life California Board and executive director of Sierra Donor Services, the organ procurement organization serving the Sacramento Valley, located in West Sacramento. “Jim Martin comes to this important statewide position with a strong strategic background in advocacy work and building community partners, as well as fiscal planning, administration and project management. Under his leadership as our new CEO, we know we’ll be able to save even more lives thanks to transplantation.”

Currently, 21,911 Californians – approximately 1 in 5 people on the US Waiting List – need an organ transplant to survive. Last year, 939 Californians became organ donors saving the lives of nearly 3,200 people. Tragically 1,045 people died waiting here because there aren’t enough donors.

“Jim looks forward to continuing our strong collaboration with the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and seeking exciting new partnerships for Donate Life California, providing innovative ways for Californians to sign up on the Donate Life Registry,” Johnson added.

Martin says his plan of action as Donate Life California’s new CEO begins with establishing the Donate Life California office in Sacramento and developing a strategic plan to build statewide advocacy. His overarching goal is to increase the number of Californian’s registering as organ, eye and tissue donors, through the DMV and online.

Previously Martin was executive director of Martin’s Achievement Place in Sacramento, a residential treatment program for at-risk foster boys.

“I’ve spent my entire life in the nonprofit service world – serving youth and families. I’m excited to continue serving families by creating opportunities for all Californians to sign up on the Donate Life California Registry and ultimately save lives. Organ, eye, and tissue donation is the ultimate act of humanity,” Martin said.

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