About Us
The Z-Cares Initiative
The Z-Cares Initiative is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting our youth and shedding the stigma associated with mental health. Our teams work tirelessly every day to develop and deliver programs that will help our youth talk about and cope with their mental health.
Our mission is to create pro-active communities who; Enable teens who suffer from anxiety to reach out for help and resources and Enable community members to reach in with resources and support. Z-Cares strives to end the stigma associated with mental health while creating a shared understanding among teens and adults it is ‘ok to not be ok.’
Z-Cares will accomplish this mission through partnerships with schools, youth clubs and other youth organizations to encourage a continued conversation about anxiety.
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Our Board
Our Board of Directors ensures that the Z-Cares Initiative makes significant and steady progress in its mission.
Our Story
Zachary Nimmo is the inspiration of the Z-Cares Initiative. We are dedicated to changing lives in Z's honor
Meet our Board
Executive Board
Steve Nimmo, Co-Founder
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Mannie Nimmo, Co-Founder
Pleasanton Unified School District
Samantha Nimmo, Vice President
College Student
Karin Gornick, Vice President
Angst Producer
Laurie Walker-Whiteland, Treasurer
Pleasanton Unified School District
Raquel Lozares, Secretary
Retired Police Officer
Advisory Board
Scilla Andreen / IndieFlix
Anne-Marie White / IndieFlix
Ken Nimmo / CIBS U.S.
Michael Gallagher / Veritiv
Theresa Sherry / Tenacity Project
Steve McCoy Thompson / PPIE
Heather Guidice / L'Oreal
Our Press
Recent News
- People Magazine - Family Dedicated to Anxiety, Depression Awareness (December 2019)
- Pleasanton Weekly - Nimmo Family (November 2019)
- KTVU - Angst Screening Promotion (November 2019)
- Pleasanton Weekly - Honoring 2019 Tri-Valley Heroes (October 2019)
- Pleasanton Weekly - Tri Valley Hero Awards (October 2019)
- Sunday Morning Magazine with Rodney Lear (June 2, 2019)
- Pleasanton Weekly - Standing Up to Anxiety (March 8, 2019)
- Positive Parenting - Mr Dad Interview (January 2019)
- KTVU - Z-Cares First Screening (December 10, 2018)
- East Bay Times - Z-Cares Advocates Mental Health Awareness (December 11, 2018)
- Pleasanton Weekly - Upcoming Screening of Angst (December 6, 2018)
Our Inspiration: Zachary Nimmo
Meet Zachary
Z-Cares Foundation is in honor of Zachary Nimmo. The Nimmo Family, Zachary’s Mom, Dad and Sister Samantha along with their extended family and amazing friends created Z-Cares Foundation in response to the outpouring of love and affection for Zachary during, and after his life. Z-Cares is a non-profit foundation with the goal of keeping Zachary’s memory alive and generating the funding necessary to support programs that will help remove the stigma of anxiety and mental illness.
Imagine, you get a common cold, it's no big deal. Your cold gets worse, you now have pneumonia, what do you do? Of course you go to the doctor. Why do we treat anxiety different? You experience mild anxiety due to an upcoming test, it's no big deal. Your anxiety gets worse, you are now isolated in your room and withdrawn from your friends, what do you do. Too often we do nothing and say nothing. Everyone has anxiety, don’t let it reach dangerous levels. Anxiety isn’t cool, but talking about it is!
Zachary had a zest for life, he was a son, a brother, a nephew, a cousin, a grandson, a teammate and most importantly, a friend. He was liked by everyone and always put others needs ahead of his own. Who was Zachary? Zachary would stand up to bullies who were picking on a friend. That is who Zachary was. If he knocked down an opponent on the sports field, he would help him up. That is who Zachary was. He would torment his sister until they both laughed about it. That is who Zachary was. Zachary was known by his friends as a ‘Hybrid’; He was an athlete, excelling in lacrosse and soccer and he was a self proclaimed ‘geek’, loving fishing, gaming and comics. That is who Zachary was. We can all learn from how Zachary lived.
What was not known was the severity of Zachary’s anxiety. Without an understanding of anxiety, Zachary was referred to as shy; It was anxiety. Experiencing teen hormones; It was anxiety. He began to withdraw from his friends; it was anxiety He stopped participating in team sports; It was anxiety. He spent most of his time alone; It was anxiety. He was seeking medical and psychological help, but it was too late.
In Zachary’s honor, Z-Cares Foundation will start the conversation about anxiety and keep it going. If you feel you are experiencing anxiety, say something; if you see a friend experiencing anxiety, say something, don’t let a minor anxiety issue become something dangerous, say something.
We are all in this together and no one fights alone LET'S TALK ABOUT IT!