WHAT IS TRIO?
In the mid 1980’s, a group of transplant patients at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center saw the need for an organization to help transplant recipients and candidates cope with the challenges they experienced in the transplant process. Out of this group TRIO was established, and in 1987 was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization. It was soon determined that TRIO could best serve the transplant community by becoming an international organization and in 1994 moved its headquarters to Washington D.C.
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TRIO continues to serve transplant recipients in many regions of the nation, with chapters in California, Texas, Washington D.C., New York, Ohio, Florida, Kansas and Pennsylvania among others. In addition, there is an international chapter in Japan.
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WHO WE ARE
TRIO Philadelphia is a dedicated and passionate team of organ donor families, living donors, transplant recipients, transplant candidates, and anyone else interested in engaging in social support of the TRIO Mission & Vision. We are a generous group who are working hard over decades now to give back or share the inspiration of living fulfilled and active lives through our connection with organ donation and organ transplant. If that description fits you, we invite you and your family to join us. On these web pages, you can see what events and projects TRIO Philadelphia has undertaken over the years and continues to do in supporting that mission. We welcome your support, not just in our meetings, but even as a remote member with that desire to help others.
OUR HISTORY
TRIO Philadelphia started as a small group of recipients in the mid 1990’s. Founder, Elizabeth Rubin, had experienced TRIO support while getting her liver transplant out in Pittsburgh and had a vision of bringing that same support to our Philadelphia area transplant community.
They first began meeting at the local organ procurement organization (OPO) offices, then known as the Delaware Valley Transplant Program or “Kidney 1”, now called Gift of Life Donor Program.
The group grew from just 5 members to over 30, and in 1997 became chartered as TRIO Philadelphia.
Over the years TRIO Philadelphia has had over 100 members, and today, after a period of inactivity, we’re rebuilding with a core team of 18 dedicated members and a new sense of purpose and energy.
While most TRIO Philadelphia members are local, many live outside the immediate Philadelphia area of Pennsylvania in the states of New Jersey and Delaware, more commonly referred to as “the Delaware Valley.”
WHAT WE DO
We create and undertake very interesting projects as you can see in the stories and photos under PROJECTS on this web site. We work along with many other groups, feeling that together we can be more effective than we can alone. With active roles supporting our local OPO (organ procurement organization), the Gift of Life Donor Program, our local 43 transplant programs and their patients, UNOS (the United Network for Organ Sharing), sister support groups and especially the community of families facing or living with organ donation and organ transplants - each in their own special way. Many of those are described with photos under the EVENTS page on this site. Other fun and important activities we offer are social events where you get to meet and connect with donor families, like-minded transplant candidates/recipients and talented medical professionals.
Come and see if you might want to join us in those EVENTS and PROJECTS with your own ideas and skills, helping others facing life's challenges in this unique domain of interest.