Organ Donation Urgency Grows In New Jersey’s Communities Of Color

In New Jersey, thousands are waiting for a transplant, and communities of color are disproportionately impacted. Nearly 4,000 residents are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant, and about two-thirds of them are people of color. 

Many are living with kidney failure brought on by chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, ailments that strike communities of color at alarmingly high rates.

Local advocates and organ donation groups are working to close the gap through outreach, education, and community events throughout August, which is National Minority Donor Awareness Month.

On August 9, Plainfield joined forces with NJ Sharing Network to spread organ donor awareness with their free “Live Healthy & Move” community event. This vibrant outing saw several guests gather near Plainfield Public Library, receiving knowledge and resources for healthy living from many local organizations and nonprofits. 

Another Live Healthy & Move event will take place on August 23 in Newark’s Valisburg Park.

NJ Sharing Network has long worked to recover organs and ensure they go to those who need them most. These recent events have helped highlight how communities of color are in disproportionate need of organ donations.

As of August 11, 2025, over 106,000 people needed a lifesaving organ transplant. The United Network reported this for Organ Sharing. In New Jersey, 4,000 people need transplants. According to NJ Sharing Network’s Gary Mignone, 80% are waiting for a kidney or kidney-related treatment.

Mignone hoped the Live Healthy & Move events would draw people out. He wanted them to have fun and also receive health resources from NJ Sharing Network and other vendors.

While overseeing the event in Plainfield, E. Denise Peoples, senior manager of community services at NJ Sharing Network, discussed the “amazing” work she and her organization have done for people on dialysis. Peoples is a two-time lung transplant recipient from Newark. She began volunteering at NJ Sharing Network, driven by a passion to help others like her. She wants people to learn about their options and receive the organs and treatment they need.

“We have so many people, but 64% of the people who need the organ, a kidney, are African-American. So it is very prevalent all over the country,” said Peoples. “But in New Jersey…we have three dialysis centers. But we want to be able to make sure that people can live a healthy life, even when they have the option of dialysis. Hopefully, they’ll get off one day.”

People is one of multiple organ recipients working alongside NJ Sharing Network. Christopher Bryant, ambassador of the American Kidney Fund, was also in Plainfield to help raise donor awareness. This three-time kidney transplant recipient from Woodbridge Township said there’s “life after transplantation,” and despite challenges, it’s still a “blessing.”

Doctors diagnosed Bryant with diabetes in high school. He didn’t take control of his condition until a decade later, when he developed stage four kidney disease. Despite this, Bryant claims to have no regrets, having found his calling in raising kidney health awareness.

“I feel that this is my purpose,” said Bryant. “And, yes, I’ve been sick, and I’m still [sick]. This is my health journey. But the journey continues. And if I could continue to advocate for not only myself but other folks that make the situation better, then I feel that me being sick was kind of a good thing.”

Additionally, Zoeh Arana spent five years on dialysis due to kidney failure, and she was unsure she was going to live long enough to see her daughter, Nancy, grow up. She then received a kidney transplant from a woman who donated her late son’s organs. Roughly 20 years later, Arana still devotes her time to supporting others in need of organ transplants. She feels grateful for every day she has lived.

“I was able to see my daughter grow up, go to high school, go to college, and…it’s all because this mother decided to give me a full life,” said Arana.

Through the stories of these recipients, NJ Sharing Network hopes to show how meaningful an organ donation can be. Many people in communities of color have ailments that require transplants. Raising awareness is vital. With the right treatment, patients can live happy, healthy lives.

“Folks with kidney disease and diabetes are often some of the strongest people I know,” said Bryant. “But oftentimes we don’t give [ourselves] enough credit until we tap into that strength and realize that we have more that we can do. We can do it, and I let people know to never give up.”