[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 134 (Thursday, December 7, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2106]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  TRIBUTE TO NORTH JERSEY CHAPTER OF THE LINKS, INC., PILGRIM BAPTIST 
   CHURCH, AND DR. DORIAN J. WILSON FOR THEIR WORK ON NATIONAL DONOR 
                SABBATH AND THE LINKAGES TO LIFE PROGRAM

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DONALD M. PAYNE

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 6, 2006

  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the participants in The 
Linkages to Life Program of the North Jersey Chapter of the Links, 
Inc., which has as its service area Essex, Hudson, Bergen and Passaic 
counties in the fine state of New Jersey. Each year, for the past 5 
years, Links, Inc., and Roche form a major lifesaving or life-altering 
function by conducting the Linkages to Life program in houses of 
worship. Today approximately 93,000 people are awaiting transplant 
surgery, and 25 percent of the people awaiting transplants are of 
African descent.
  Nationwide, we reserve the second weekend in November each year to 
emphasize the need for life-saving and life-altering blood, organ and 
tissue donation in houses of worship throughout the United States of 
America. The National Trends and Services Facet of the North Jersey 
Chapter of the Links, Inc., chaired by Beverly McQueary Smith, a past 
president of the National Bar Association, and a native and resident of 
Jersey City, New Jersey spearheaded this year's effort on behalf of the 
North Jersey Chapter of the Links, Inc.
  Links, Inc., is built on a foundation of friendship and service. 
Sarah Scott and Margaret Hawkins founded it on November 9, 1946, in 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Today, it contains a network of over 10,000 
Black women. Gloria P. Watson, the principal at Dionne Warwick 
Institute in East Orange, New Jersey, is the current president of The 
North Jersey Chapter of the Links, Inc., established in June 1949. The 
Motto for Links, Inc., this year under the leadership of National 
President Gwendolyn B. Lee, Ph.D. is ``Seizing the Opportunity to 
Provide World Class Leadership, Friendship and Service.'' The members 
of the North Jersey Chapter of the Links, Inc., exemplify that motto.
  By way of background let me first say that the United States 
Department of Health and Human Services started to coordinate National 
Organ Donor Sabbath in 1996, and November 10-12, 2006 marked the 10th 
anniversary celebration of the National Donor Sabbath program.
  My friend Beverly McQueary Smith, who worked on my first campaign 
many years ago, was blessed with a hardworking and diligent committee. 
The members of the National Trends and Services Facet include:
  Jessica L. Morse, who works for Community Agencies Corporation of New 
Jersey in Newark;
  Dr. Paulette Stanford who promotes HIV and AIDS prevention and 
awareness at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey;
  Dr. Montrae Calhoun Thomas, a pediatrician in Orange, NJ and the 
first lady of Pilgrim Baptist Church, and last, but certainly not 
least,
  The Honorable Shirley Tolentino, a judge of the Superior Court of New 
Jersey sitting in Hudson County, a former president of the National 
Association of Women Judges, and a former president of the North Jersey 
Chapter of the Links, Inc., organized this year's Linkages to Life 
program at Pilgrim Baptist Church on 34 Hudson Street in Newark, New 
Jersey.
  Linkages to Life focuses on educating people of African descent about 
the importance of blood, tissue and organ donation, and Linkages to 
Life is a 5-year partnership between Roche and Links, Inc., which 
resulted in the publication of a pamphlet, ``Can We Talk?''
  The Reverend Clarence Thomas, the pastor of Pilgrim Baptist Church in 
Newark, NJ, agreed to allow members of the North Jersey Chapter of the 
Links, Inc., to worship with and to present its Linkages to Life 
Program on National Donor Sabbath to the members of Pilgrim Baptist 
Church. He delivered a powerful sermon on organ donation.
  Dr. Dorian J. Wilson, a transplant surgeon and a native of Jersey 
City, and member of the faculty at The University of Medicine and 
Dentistry spoke at the Linkages to Life program at Pilgrim Baptist 
Church.
  Leslie and Laureen Britton, Kevin and Tawanna Waters, and the 
Honorable Mumtaz Bari-Brown, an administrative law judge in the city of 
Newark and also a member of the North Jersey Chapter of the Links Inc., 
discussed the impact of organ and tissue donation on their lives. Garry 
Branch spoke in his choir robe about how he learned that he needed a 
kidney transplant. Other members of the congregation talked about their 
decisions to donate organs of their loved ones.
  Former Chapter President, Leanora Logan serves as the Eastern Area 
Representative for National Trends and Services, who returned from a 
meeting in Virginia to bring greetings at the Linkages to Life program. 
Attendees recognized the hard work of the representatives from Ketchum 
Marketing including Katie Donnelly, Nichole Rothkopf, Adam Pawluk and 
Amy Losak of Link Victoria Dent's office. They thanked Gail Safian and 
Ellen Lambert of Roche for providing the brochures and organ donor 
cards for the Linkages to Life Program.
  The North Jersey Chapter of the Links, Inc., thank Newark City 
Council President Mildred C. Crump and her counsel, Victoria F. Pratt 
for making sure that members of the City Council provided proclamations 
to Pilgrim Baptist Church and the North Jersey Chapter of the Links, 
Inc., during the service.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize the hard work of people who 
work in and serve my congressional district. Their work was reported by 
the New York Times, The Houston Chronicle, The Record, News 12 NJ, and 
also aired on The Today Show. This body should acknowledge their 
willingness to help let my constituents know how important it is to 
donate blood, tissue and organs.

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