DONATE LIFE ORGAN DONATION AWARENESS - TEXAS

LIFEGIFT PARTNERS WITH SHELL FEDERAL CREDIT UNION IN LIFESAVING MISSION

Published 09/14/2010 - 6:00 a.m. CST

Shell Federal Credit Union joins the fight to reduce the number of people who wait for lifesaving transplant

HOUSTON, TEXAS – Shell Federal Credit Union (Shell FCU) – a company of more than 150 employees - will become an advocate for promoting organ and tissue donation among its workforce and customers.

This is the first time that a financial institution in the Houston area has become a Workplace Partner. The Workplace Partnership for Life initiative is spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to increase donor awareness among corporations, hospitals and other entities. As a Workplace Partner, Shell FCU will provide educational resources to its workforce and customers to promote organ and tissue donation.

“It’s encouraging to see local corporations taking a stand to help in this lifesaving mission,” said Sam Holtzman, president and CEO of LifeGift. “This is an example of how the community can get involved to promote the Donate Life Texas Registry and help those waiting for a second chance at life.”

This announcement comes after the City of Houston expressed its intent to become a Workplace Partner. During a press conference, Houston Mayor Annise Parker issued a challenge to other entities to do their part in saving lives.

Currently more than 10,000 Texans are on the waiting list, and 2,500 are from Houston. “If every business or entity were to take part in the Workplace Partnership program, more awareness would be brought to this issue. It’s really simple, the more donors there are, the more lives that are saved,” said Jose Rodriguez, president and CEO of Shell FCU. “Much of our industry is measured on speed and reducing the waiting time for our customers. We understand firsthand that no one likes waiting in a long line, let alone for a lifesaving transplant.”

While the Glenda P. Dawson Donate Life Texas Registry is gaining momentum and numbers have improved dramatically, less than 10 percent of Texans over the age of 18 are registered. Registering to become an organ, eye and tissue donor is simple. It’s free and it takes less than five minutes. There are three ways to register:

- Electronically via www.donatelifetexas.org.

- In person at the Department of Public Safety Office (DPS).

- Online with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) when renewing vehicle registration.

For more information about LifeGift and the registry, visit www.lifegift.org. For more information about Shell FCU, visit www.shellfcu.org.