Volunteer Spotlight on Client Support Volunteer Arline Hinckley

Arline Hinckley’s long involvement with C&C includes working on the I-119 campaign, her position as a board member since the mid-1990s, and as a client support volunteer. She was a frequent, eloquent speaker during the I-1000 campaign and continues to speak to groups and associations across Washington, saying that “It seems as though everyone wants to hear more about the new law.” She also volunteers with a local hospice.

Arline earned an undergraduate degree in public health and a master’s degree in social work. Her work history includes working with high-risk mothers and children and eight years as a social worker in a hematology/oncology department. Arline says that her social work experience strengthened her belief that “dying patients should not only have better pain control, but should have control of their end-of-life decisions.”

As an experienced client support volunteer, Arline now mentors and helps train our new volunteers. She also has five active clients, including three in Spokane, two in Bellingham, and two in Seattle. Arline visits every client, saying, “They deserve to be seen in person; it reassures them. It also helps me evaluate whether Death With Dignity is a valid decision for the client.”

Although soft-spoken and shy, Arline became a powerful spokesperson and gifted debater for I-1000. “I found there was a surprising amount of support all over the state,” said Arline. “People who came to listen also wanted to tell their stories. There were frequent stories of difficult deaths that would often end with ‘…and that is why I plan to vote for this initiative.’”

Arline finds that working with C&C’s clients is fulfilling, not draining. “It is so rewarding to help someone to a good death. As a client support volunteer, I get to meet such wonderful people. I often wish I had known them earlier in their lives. Volunteering for C&C gives me a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. I am very proud to be part of an organization that passed the Death With Dignity law.”