Make a Difference!

The Ontario Health (Trillium Gift of Life Network) Community Support program works with dedicated people like you, to organize, promote and drive organ and tissue donor registration initiatives throughout Ontario.

Our job is to provide you with the necessary tools and supports so that you can inspire your community to share the gift of life. We work with many advocacy groups including donor families, community volunteers, faith leaders, health care professionals, youth and non-governmental organizations, government, and supportive private sector companies.

Get Involved

There are many ways you can help to raise awareness about registering consent to donate organs and tissue.

Here are some ideas to explore:

  • Start your own campaign.
  • Schedule an information session at your church, synagogue, temple, or mosque.
  • Arrange for your workplace to display BeADonor.ca business cards and brochures.
  • Book a presentation on the impact of organ and tissue donation for your high school students. If you are a teacher in the GTA, you can learn about the High School Outreach Initiative (HSOI) here or book a presentation by completing this form.

Let's be a donor nation

Join Your Local Advocate Group

TGLN supports many wonderful organ and tissue donation advocate groups across the province. Each group has a dedicated leader who is waiting to hear from you!

These passionate community leaders will provide insight into the types of volunteer opportunities they have on the go, and can keep you in the loop about upcoming meetings or information sessions that may help you decide the best way to participate.

Click here to access a list of all existing advocate groups in Ontario

Don't see an established group in your area? Click here to download an Advocate Orientation Pakage to learn how to start your own group

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions!

Strategic storytelling toolkit

Share Your Personal Story

Storytelling is an important part of promoting awareness of organ and tissue donation. Personal stories shared by brave donor families and grateful organ and tissue recipients are compelling and emotional. These touching and inspiring accounts help us discuss donation and transplantation in a persuasive way.

TGLN has developed an Advocate Storytelling Toolkit specifically for organ and tissue donation awareness advocates. This interactive workbook accompanies our orientation package. We encourage all advocates to incorporate first-person narratives into raising awareness about organ and tissue donation.

Every story makes a big impact on increasing registration rates across Ontario.

Click here to access a copy of the Advocate Storytelling Toolkit

April is BeADonor Month

BeADonor Month occurs every April across Ontario. It can be a rewarding way to give back to your community. If you have a social media account, you can share our posts to help raise awareness about organ and tissue donation and transplantation.

Are you online? Download and share!

This BeADonor Month, help us spread the word about the importance of registering to become an organ and tissue donor. Download our graphics below and share them via your social media accounts throughout April. Need help with messaging? Download our social media graphic and messaging document. Want to see your city or town formally recognize BeADonor Month? You can download our Proclamation templates (English and French), fill it in and submit. Below the social media graphics, you will also find a digital screen for hospitals and an MS Teams/Zoom background.

Make sure you're following us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Planning a
community
event?

Due to the overwhelming interest from advocates across Ontario, TGLN has designated April as “BeADonor Month”.

Here is your opportunity to join other communities across the province and help increase awareness for organ and tissue donation. Activities can range from on-campus awareness, workplace health and safety seminars, institutional health fairs, lay and professional association meetings, to community service club presentations. It just takes one person to get the momentum going and that one person could be you!

Here’s what you can do

Please download and complete the Community Event Form. This form asks for the coordinator’s name, the date, time and location of your event, and the number of people you expect to attend. Complete this information early to receive requested materials and/or to book your speaker in time for your event. Once you have answered all of the questions on the form, please email it to Gracinda Varghese (email noted at the end of the form). If your event is a public event, TGLN will post it on the Calendar of Events page of this site.

Advocate (Community Event) Support

TGLN has seen incredible growth in community events across the province and, with this, an increase in the number of requests for financial support. To better meet this growth, we are pleased to offer a sustainable, accountable and equitable approach to your support requests. Please click here to review guidelines and apply for funding. If you have any questions, please email infoLine@ontarioheath.ca. Thank you for your submission!

Calendar of Events

Man talking into a megaphone

Advocate Bulletins

The Touchpoint is a newsletter for anyone interested in organ and tissue donation and transplantation in Ontario. We feature personal stories, celebrate advocate activities, share news and ways you can get involved, and provide key facts to dispel common misconceptions about donation. SUBSCRIBE today!

Man talking into a megaphone

The Touchpoint

Get involved with your local advocate group

Amar Arts of Life - GTA Balwinder Kaur E: info@amararts.com
W: http://amararts.com/
Amar Karma, Health & Wellness Awareness Network - GTA/Mississauga Radhika Goyal E: actions@amarkarma.org
W: http://www.amarkarma.org
Organ Advocacy Initiative (OAI) - McMaster University Student Group, Hamilton Edward Li E: organadvocacy@gmail.com
W: https://organadvocacy.com/
Brighton Northumberland Gift of Life Network Kathleen McLaughlin E: kmclaughlinyas@hotmail.com
Orillia Gift of Life Association Margot Crowder Davidson E: orilliagiftoflife@gmail.com
W: www.facebook.com/orilliagift.oflife.5
Durham Region Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Hilda Finnigan/Jim Mitchell E: ahfinnigan6157@hotmail.com
E: jammitchell@rogers.com
Ottawa Gift of Life Joel Proulx/Tina Proulx E: tina.e.proulx@gmail.com
W: www.ottawagiftoflife.ca
W: www.twitter.com/OttawaGift
Grey Bruce Gift of Life Association Catherine Hansler E: chhansler@gmail.com
Peel Region Gift of Life Association Simrin Samra and Temi Odunuga E: ssamra27@hotmail.com  E: t.a.odunuga@gmail.com     W: https://www.facebook.com/PeelGift/
Irish Heritage Club Sudbury, Organ Donor Awareness Committee Frank Horan E: camas_@persona.ca
W: http://www.irishheritageclubofsudbury.ca/
Sarnia Organ Donor Awareness Group Sue Morrison-Weir E: smorrison7@cogeco.ca
W: http://www.sarniaorgandonors.ca/
Life Donation Awareness Association- Burlington/ Hamilton Jessica Gold E: organdonationaware ness.hbo@gmail.com
W: https://m.facebook.com/groups/352608171438470?ref=share
Scarborough Gift of Life Association Mohan Bissoondial/Helen Farinha E: mohanbissoondial@hotmail.com
E: helenfarinha@msn.com
Life Donation Awareness Association
- Kitchener, Cambridge, Waterloo & Guelph
Andrea Clegg E: andrea@lifedonationawa reness.com
W: http://www.lifedonationawareness.com
Simcoe County Gift of Life Association Sherrie Logan E: logan.sherrie@gmail.com
W: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1953083111497585/
Life Donation Awareness Association - Niagara Region Carol Morningstar E: camstar4@hotmail.com
W: http://www.lifedonationawareness.com/
Transplant Advocate Association - Kingston Reina Campbell/Christina Rorabeck E: info@transplantadvocateassociation.ca
W: http://www.transplantadvocateassociation.ca/
Life Donation Awareness Association - Oxford County Joanna Mitchell E: jmitchell7385@rogers.com
W: http://www.lifedonationawareness.com/
Whitchurch-Stouffville Organ Donation Advocacy Group Eric Ripp/Sean Jackson/Anand Daté W: https://www.facebook.com/Whitchurch-Stouffville-Organ-Donation-Advocacy-Group
London Transplant Gift of Life Association Jane Tucker W: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Londontransplantgifto flife/
Wilmot Area Life Donation Awareness Theresa Dietrich E: theresadietrich@rogers.com
W: http://www.lifedonationawareness.com/contact-us/
Muskoka Gift of Life Association Sandra Holdsworth E: sholds@sympatico.ca
W: https://www.facebook.com/groups/318128868249604/
Windsor-Essex Gift of Life Association Niva Segatto E: nivasegatto@gmail.com
W: https://www.facebook.com/WEgiftoflife
Nipissing Gift of Life Association - North Bay Mary Beaucage E: NipissingGOLA@gmail.com
York Region Gift of Life Association Miriam Yapur E: myapur11@rogers.com
W: https://www.facebook.com/YRGiftofLife/
Northumberland County Gift of Life (Cobourg, Port Hope, Hamilton Township, Alnwick/ Haldimand Township, Trent Hills) David & Stephanie Mitchell E: ncgiftoflife@gmail.com
W: https://www.facebook.com/groups/275486260042291/

The importance of culture and religion

Culture and religion play a significant role in end-of-life experiences, including how people respond to illness, how grief is demonstrated, what rituals are important at death and which members of the family are present.

Most religious groups support organ donation and/or respect the individual's choice. Beliefs about tissue donation vary as some groups may consider tissue donation life enhancing, separating it from organ donation which saves lives.

If you have specific questions about your faith, speak to your religious leader. In the meantime, here are some widely held perspectives:

Workplace registration drive initiative.

Hosting a workplace organ and tissue registration drive is easy.

With the development of BeADonor.ca registering your consent only takes two minutes online. A workplace registration drive is a great way to encourage your colleagues to register as organ and tissue donors, and demonstrate your organization's good corporate governance. Best of all, it doesn't take away from company productivity.

Get started today by visiting BeADonor.ca and downloading the toolkit. It contains a menu of customizable documents, suggested event ideas and timing for a workplace registration drive to help make implementation turn-key. TGLN is here to help make your drive a success. 

Start your own campaign.

Another way you can encourage the registration of organ and tissue donation is by creating your own campaign.

Be the first in your local community, at your place of work, or encourage an association where you belong to participate. All you need to do is to create your own campaign on BeADonor.ca. Use your influence to encourage others to register their consent.

There are different ways you can participate. You can create a personal campaign, an organization campaign, or a workplace registration drive whereby you can encourage friends, family and colleagues to register their consent for organ and tissue donation. You can use a customized page that can be shared on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and email. Check out what others have done. You'll be amazed.

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