Sample Clergy Fax

PRIORITY FAX

This transmittal has 3 (three) pages

From: [Your name/organization; contact information, including fax number]

Dear [Clery's name with title],
National Donor Sabbath is an ecumenical effort, sponsored by the U.S. government's Division of Transplantation, to increase organ and tissue donor awareness through the nation's houses of worship. The campaign is supported [insert organizations].

This successful effort has motivated Transplant for Life to offer the interfaith community endeavor our system of communication and assistance via of our web site (www.transplantforlife.org).

National Donor Sabbath will again take place throughout the country, providing a unique opportunity to raise awareness in our community about the critical need for organ and tissue donation. The second weekend of November is chosen because it is close to Thanksgiving and is viewed as an interfaith time to come together around an issue of life and thanksgiving.

We are again asking for your congregation’s participation by helping to give the gift of life and including organ and tissue donation in your scheduled Shabbat services on November 12th or 13th.

The American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, the American Kidney Foundation and numerous other highly respected organizations are also participants in National Donor Sabbath. This is the fourth year that the Division of Transplantation, Department of Health and Human Services has instituted National Donor Sabbath.

Upon request, we will ship you a National Donor Sabbath Packet as soon as your completed Assistance Request form is received. This material can be photocopied as needed and includes sample sermons, sample bulletins, scriptural references, educational materials. Brochures with donor cards are available for distribution in the amount you request. Please complete and fax your ASSISTANCE REQUEST FORM without delay. Materials are also available from the Division of Transplantation and the United Network for Organ Sharing.

TRANSPLANT FOR LIFE is prepared to assist you in reaching out to your congregants and identify recipients of organs and tissues, donor family members, or those who are wait listed for transplants. You will be pleasantly surprised to learn how many people have been touched by the gift of life. These people may also be of help to you in any National Donor Sabbath plans within your congregation.

Currently, as of June 1999, more then 60,000 Americans are on the waiting list for life-saving organ transplants and hundreds of thousands need life-enhancing cornea and tissue transplants annually. Each day, eleven or more of us will die while waiting for organs.

As a respected religious leader in your community, you can again play a vital role in the National Donor Sabbath observance. Family communication is critical for solving the shortage of donor organs and tissues. When a death occurs, hospitals request consent for donation from the next-of-kin. Thus it is crucial that family members know each other’s decisions about donation discussions.before a death occurs. Rabbis addressing the issue of donation could be the catalysts for those discussions.

Therefore, we respectfully request that you complete the ASSISTANCE RESPONSE form transmitted with this letter. You can communicate this information to us by FAX or mail. Our fax is 818-986-5576.

Your congregation’s prompt response will enable us to provide you with the most effective assistance possible in making this Sabbath special by including organ and tissue donor awareness in your scheduled services.

Together, we can truly make a difference and help make "Miracles through Understanding" occur this year and every year thereafter.

Sincerely,

Irving J. Goldberg, Director

20400 Ventura Blvd., W.H., Ca. 91364, Phone: 818-783-3003 (new number), Fax: 818-986-5576