April is Volunteer Appreciation Month and End of Life Choices California would not be able to provide the information and support we do to thousands of Californians each year without our amazing Volunteer Team!
Our origin story is steeped in volunteerism. We didn’t even have a staff person until we were three years old – all of the work was done by volunteers. Since then, we’ve grown a little bit to two staff members, but it is our volunteers who largely answer the phone inquiries we get every month, lead the presentations we give across the state, and are there supporting our clients and families on a day of a planned death through Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD).
We couldn’t be more appreciative of the time and heart our team of volunteers dedicates to informing and supporting Californians on their end-of-life journeys. Thank you!
Linda Rowe: One Volunteer’s Story
Whether it’s 10, 50, or 100 people in the room or via zoom, I love being a speaker for EOLCCA! I find it exciting that clinicians, hospice staff, retirement community residents, faith groups, and the curious have put aside their time to educate themselves about their legal end-of-life choices. And the smart questions and comments that come up during and always after the presentation are my favorite part – being able to interact directly with people and hear their stories.
What do we cover? Everything from the importance and need for Advance Care Planning to ensuring your values and wishes are known and honored.
Linda Rowe
We usually cover the entire spectrum of end-of-life options from receiving all available medical care and interventions to choosing to take advantage of the End of Life Option Act through a planned death. All of this serves to provide less confusion and family conflict and, in doing so, creates a gift of love for those on the front lines of your decisions.
My EOLCCA story began in 2021 when my mother benefitted from the End of Life Option Act through MAiD. As I became more and more involved with EOLCCA, I discovered how unique my experience was with both my parents and three older siblings. Proudly, I say we could have been the poster family for advance care planning, communication, love, and understanding. I credit my mother, the woman who chose MAiD, with fostering the empathy it takes to support your loved ones as they face end-of-life issues. We had dozens of conversations among the various combinations of family members, but we never deviated from the main topics, that of awareness, preparation, and loving support.
Through my education and advocacy on behalf of my mother, I discovered a passion for empowering individuals to take more agency in their end-of-life decisions. I find many feel, as they age or travel further and further down the terminal diagnosis road, they somehow lose their right to make their own decisions. I see spirits lift in the faces of people in my audiences when they realize they have rights! It’s tremendously rewarding. Educating, advocating, and supporting is its own drug.
Among my mother’s wonderful pronouncements, and there were many, was “never hesitate to tell my story.” I don’t intend to. Being a speaker and representative for EOLCCA provides me the chance to fulfill my mother’s wishes . As a woman over 65, I got my first, and only, tattoo: Wisdom and Grace. Thanks for all of it, Mom. And thank you, EOLCCA, for this opportunity.
Linda Rowe is one of the dedicated volunteers at End of Life Choices California. She shares what she’s learning through being a daughter, sister, wife, mother, and friend and aspires to reflect the Wisdom and Grace of her mother. While her day jobs have involved marketing, sales, books, and community outreach, she now devotes herself to her mother’s legacy –give, connect, and help.