Sierra Donor Services Joins West Sacramento Kwanzaa Celebration to Encourage Organ, Eye and Tissue Donation

Sierra Donor Services recently brought the lifesaving impact of organ, eye and tissue donation to the 22nd Annual Kwanzaa Vendor Fair at the Center for Spiritual Awareness in West Sacramento.

The Kwanzaa Vendor Fair is a free event that is the largest and longest running annual celebration of Kwanzaa in the Sacramento region, honoring African American culture and heritage. The fair featured vendors selling a variety of items, including art, clothing, jewelry, and food. The stage featured live music with African drumming, cultural presentations, dance performances, and ended with a karamu (or community potluck feast).

The Heart of Kwanzaa: How Its Principles Inspire Donation

Kwanzaa is comprised of seven principles that help build and reinforce community among African Americans while demonstrating how communities can foster a supportive environment for donation, including…

1. Umoja (Unity)
   • Encourages communal support for donation, promoting the idea that everyone has a role to play in the donation process
2. Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
   • Empowers personal health choices, including choosing whether or not to be a donor
3. Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)
   • Promotes collaborative action to increase donation rates, including addressing health disparities in communities of color
4. Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)
   • Creates a strong foundation for community-driven health solutions between local advocates, groups, and healthcare providers
5. Nia (Purpose)
   • Highlights the altruistic act of donation and its ability to give recipients a renewed purpose in life
6. Kuumba (Creativity)
   • Inspires innovative approaches to share the lifesaving impact of donation across diverse communities
7. Imani (Faith)
   • Fosters trust in the donation process and its lifesaving potential, providing hope and comfort to donor families and recipients

“Kwanzaa’s principles of unity and collective responsibility resonate deeply with the act of organ donation. Kwanzaa celebrates the interconnectedness of African heritage, and organ donation embodies the interconnectedness of all humanity.” ~Chaplain Tynya Beverly, Event Organizer

Photo: Chaplain Tynya Beverly with Rev. Rick Harrell, Center for Spiritual Awareness Senior Minister

There are more than 20,000 people in California waiting for lifesaving organ transplants, and the demand for organs far outweighs the supply. Nearly 80 percent of the Californians waiting are people of color.

While anyone can become an organ donor, regardless of their race or ethnicity, communities of color are disproportionately represented on the organ transplant waiting list and have historically been less likely to register as organ donors.  

“We value sharing the importance of organ and tissue donation with Sacramento’s Black community during Kwanzaa. This event provided a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness about the disparities in the waitlist and highlight how registering to become a donor can make a profound difference in our community. We’re thankful to our friends at the Center for Spiritual Awareness for being such vital partners in the lifesaving work we do.” ~Michael Coleman, Sierra Donor Services External Affairs Director

Embody the principles of Kwanzaa to help save lives. Register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor at SierraDonor.org.