Left Hand Laurel - Diane Zimmermann

She howls, sews masks, plots to honor grads, helps kids learn, gets them moving, organizes the occasional birthday car-parade, and that's just some of the stuff Diane Zimmermann does during a pandemic. Supporting others is a way of life for the Niwot resident.

"Anywhere there is room for helping out. I'm always up for that," Zimmermann said.

Some of her volunteering is organized, such as her work for the Niwot Community Association and the Niwot Historical Society, and some she does on her own.

Since March, she's sewn over 400 face masks to help people in health care, older neighbors, friends and family. Essentially, anyone who has asked. The Courier wrote an article about how she answered the urgent need for homemade masks at the beginning of April. "I thought holy cow, I can totally do that," she said.

Zimmermann said a lot, finding a way to contribute any way she can. "I don't like seeing people who need something and can't get it -- someone who struggles and needs a little help. I have a lot I can give. It doesn't have to be money. Why not share the bounty that I have as a functioning, smart, loving, human being?"

Helping others was a part of her upbringing in Maryland. "My father, in particular, gravitated to people who didn't have a family to celebrate [holidays] with or were struggling with some great loss. He was this empathetic person who wanted to lift people up in their despair," Zimmermann said. "I marvel how my parents knew how to comfort and take people in. Not try to fix them, but let them be and see what their gifts were, how valuable they were as human beings because they were losing that in their own vision."

Her father couldn't resist helping his daughter too. "He was a Girl Scout leader, because the moms wouldn't do it. So he was my scout leader," she said.

Zimmermann remembers her first big volunteer job when she was in her early teens. She taught swimming lessons to kids with disabilities. "More than anything it was how not to be afraid of the water. It got to the point they couldn't wait to get in the water. To see that transition from terror to thrilling, I loved knowing that I could help with that," she said.

She looks back on that experience and sees early seeds that led to her career life and other volunteer opportunities. Zimmerman put her minor in education to work as a school volunteer in Niwot, working with academically challenged kids. Eventually, she was hired as a paraprofessional, doing behavior coaching in the autism program. "I had a lot of patience and lots of love," she said. "I discovered that I had a passion for helping kids find their own potential. So much of the time they are told what they can't do. When you focus on what they can do, surprising things happen."

She left a lasting impression with Niwot Elementary School teacher Dale Peterson. "She's got a big smile on her face. She's willing to jump in and be willing to do whatever needs to be done. The epitome of kindness -- the kids loved her and the staff loved her," said Peterson.

Today, Zimmermann runs a business teaching a movement technique called neurofitness. She works with children with disabilities, older people and those who want to feel better and stay healthy. While her in-person business is on hold, she's volunteering her neurofitness skills to get a class of first-graders moving -- a sort of fancy recess that doesn't require a playground.

Before neurofitness, Zimmerman ran a health website. Her communications skills are being used to support local events and promotions for the Niwot Community Association. She is especially proud of an NCA project last fall that honored veterans.

People could buy banners for their loved ones that featured biographical information and how they served. The banners were displayed in downtown Niwot. "It didn't matter political affiliations, it was all about celebrating people who have given us the freedoms we have and cherishing that," Zimmermann said.

Learning new things is one of the benefits of volunteering. One of Zimmermann's friends at the Niwot Historical Society asked if she would be interested in helping. She admits that she's an unlikely membership director for the organization. "I'm not a history buff. I could not give you dates or any kind of battle or anything. It's not about that, it's a new way of finding out about the history of where we live. It tapped into a different way of learning, so that's good."

"Diane is sunshine with a warm heart and positive attitude," said Kathy Koehler, who works with Zimmermann at the Niwot Historical Society and NCA. "Her creativity and organization skills are key and she is always supportive, responsible and helpful on any project."

The volunteer work reflects Zimmermann's appreciation for being part of Niwot for 14 years. "We love the community of Niwot. We love the children coming up in Niwot. I am so grateful I got to raise my three kids here. For the most part people really want to have community. They want to have a nice experience with their neighbors and celebrate. I get to be part of planning that," she said.

Zimmermann loves a good celebration, whether it is a local parade, a birthday or graduation. She is currently hatching a plan to honor local graduates who lost out on ceremonies this spring. Every night at 8 p.m. she joins in to celebrate health care workers who are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. "We sit by the fire pit and wait to howl," she said.

It's not quite a howl, but we're happy to honor Diane Zimmermann with a Left Hand Laurel for all the ways she gives to individuals and the community.