Spreading his civic involvement

Bruce Hinckley has lived in Glendale for 39 years and has always considered volunteer service to be a high priority in his life.

Today, Hinckley is involved in a wide variety of nonprofit organizations, including the Kiwanis Club of Glendale, the Verdugo Hills Council Boy Scouts of America and the Salvation Army Glendale Corps.

Hinckley was involved in the formation of Glendale Healthy Kids in 1992. He was serving on the board of Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center Foundation when the Glendale Unified School District’s head of nurses came to the board for help. She wanted the board’s assistance in providing health care for Glendale Unified students who were underinsured.

The board collaborated with Glendale Adventist Hospital, the Verdugo Hills Hospital and the city’s Health Coalition Board to found Glendale Healthy Kids.

The nonprofit was designed to provide health care to low-income and underinsured children through the volunteer treatment of local doctors. Hinckley served as Glendale Healthy Kids’ first president and is now on the advisory board.

Hinckley also serves on the board of the Community Foundation for the Verdugos and is excited about a recent addition of special-interest funds. Each special-interest fund, such as the Art Fund or the Green Fund, supports nonprofits in that particular field.

Has volunteerism changed?

It seems that you don’t see as many people in their 20s, and their 30s, and even in their 40s volunteering as much as they used to in the past. I think that’s a reflection of the economic times we live in as well as the lifestyles we live that, particularly if you have families, you’re going a hundred different directions.

Why should people volunteer?

To be living in Southern California, to be living in Verdugo Hills, we need to recognize that the fortunate environment that we live in can only improve if we volunteer for these various organizations.

Where do you see community service and nonprofits going in the future?

I am very optimistic and hopeful that it will continue to thrive because the needs are so significant. . . . Particularly in times of economic stress, there are more and more people that need the support of the community. It is critical that as a community, we recognize these needs and we act. It’s actions, not words, that make the world successful.

What do nonprofits need to continue helping the community?

We need people to go out and assist in the needs that are out there, and there are so many different ones. I think there will always be a need to have volunteers, and so we have to teach our youth to participate in these areas sooner rather than later.