Growing up as the daughter of a U.S. government official, Louise Zimmer lived around the world and traveled extensively. She attended high school in England, came back to the U.S. for college, and worked on archeological and public health projects in the Middle East. She settled in North Carolina about 20 years ago, where she worked in the health care field as a researcher and writer. She now lives in Durham with her dogs Pluto and Dodger (who she describes as 3-year-olds who act like teenagers) and her cat Priscilla.
Louise Zimmer is currently taking time off from her career, a decision that has given her more time to devote to volunteer organizations that assist women, children, and animals in need. She connected with InStepp about six months ago through VolunteerMatch. Since then, she has completed the mentoring course and looks forward to providing moral support and “cheerleading” to her first mentee as she works to make important changes in her life.
Louise’s previous volunteer experiences include editing materials for an animal welfare project, and participating in human and reproductive rights efforts. She also enjoys walking her dogs, visiting with friends, and reading contemporary fiction and historical novels. To her friends, she is known to be quiet, funny, and loyal.
As an InStepp volunteer, Louise believes the recent transitions in her own life will enable her to relate to and assist other women dealing with life changes. “I’m hoping I will have some advice and experiences to share that will be very useful to InStepp clients,” she said.