Outreach
Donate Life Northwest reaches thousands of potential donors each year encouraging them to designate themselves as donors on the Donor Registry. Please call 1.800.452.1369 or 503.494.7888 for detailed information about any of the following programs.
Donate Life Northwest Speaks Out!
Donate Life Northwest Speakers Bureau volunteers give hundreds of presentations to civic, business and school groups each year. Volunteers promote awareness about the need for and importance of organ, eye, and tissue donation by sharing their personal stories and answering questions. These programs are compelling and informative. Contact us to schedule a speaker for your organization.
Student Outreach
By presenting the facts about organ, eye, and tissue donation in an age-appropriate format, Donate Life Northwest volunteers help students understand the need for and importance of organ, eye, and tissue donation as well as regular blood donation. Because a parent/guardian must give consent at the time of donation for people under 18 years old, it is critical that young people talk with their family about their decision. The resources available include:
- In-class speakers
- Videos and teacher resource kits
- Curriculum tools
- Tours and presentations at OHSU
Blood Drives
Donate Life Northwest is working with partner agencies American Red Cross Blood Services and Lane Memorial Blood Bank to increase awareness of the need for organ, eye, and tissue donation at blood drives. In addition to distributing information brochures and having a Donate Life Northwest volunteer present in the canteen area, Donate Life Northwest high school presentations are coordinated with blood drives to increase awareness of the need for blood, as well as organ, eye, and tissue donation and designate themselves as donors by signing up on the donor registry.
Discover OHSU
Throughout the school year, Donate Life Northwest educates young adults about organ, eye, and tissue donation during Discover OHSU tours. For the first half of this compelling one-hour presentation, professionals from the medical community share their expertise on the subject along with a PowerPoint presentation created by Donate Life Northwest. Immediately following, students hear from an individual whose life has been touched by organ, eye, and tissue donation. This program takes place Tues. - Thurs. from 10:45 - 11:45 on the main OHSU campus.
Community Events/Health Fairs
Volunteers attend hundreds of community events and heath fairs annually on behalf of Donate Life Northwest to inform the general public about organ, eye, and tissue donation and to motivate people to designate themselves as donors by signing up on the Donor Registry. The opportunity to sign up is available at most Donate Life Northwest events and activities.
Department of Motor Vehicles
DMV is a critical partner in increasing the number of Oregonians who are designated organ, eye, and tissue donors. DMV staff ask every person over 15 years old who applies for an Oregon driver's license, renewal or ID if they want a "D" on their license/permit/ID to indicate that they wish to be an organ, eye, and tissue donor. In addition, the DMV field office personnel offer informational brochures in English and Spanish about the online Donor Registry. The 15 highest traffic DMV field offices also display an electronic reader board scrolling registry information in English and Spanish.
Community Champions
Businesses are enlisted to educate their employees and/or customers about organ, eye, and tissue donation, offering them an opportunity to sign up on the Donor Registry, and place a link to Donate Life Northwest on their business website. There is no cost to the business, and a free listing on the Donate Life Northwest website is our way of saying "thank you!"
National Donor Sabbath
All major religions in the United States support organ, eye, and tissue donation. One weekend each November is designated as National Donor Sabbath. Participation by hundreds of faith groups include displaying a Threads of Life Quilt, special education classes about the need for organ, eye, and tissue donation, incorporating information or scripture passages that support the concept of organ, eye, and tissue donation into the service, having an Donate Life Northwest display, putting an insert in the bulletin, and hosting an Donate Life Northwest volunteer speaker, often from within the congregation, and offering members and quests of the congregation the opportunity to designate themselves by signing up on the Donor Registry.
Threads of Life Quilt
This quilt is comprised of individually designed squares created by individuals whose lives have been touched by organ, eye, or tissue donation. Presently, there are nine Threads of Life Quilt panels that travel around the region for display. A new quilt panel is created every year and unveiled in April during Donate Life Month. Square submissions are encouraged year round.