Zaire Sims is with Meals on Wheels of Southwest Ohio and Greater Cincinnati. She is also a current APA Board member and a past recipient of our annual scholarship! Here's a little more about Zaire.

Tell us about your what you do and how you help the community.

I am currently a service coordinator with Meals on Wheels of Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky. I am a direct contact for older adults in low-income housing. I provide educational, health, and social programs to the residents. I also assist with referrals to community resources and benefit comprehension as needed.

Tell us about your work career. How long have you been involved? What brought you into this line of work? What do you love most?

I am Licensed Master Social Worker. I graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 2020 with a Master's Degree in Social Work and from The Ohio State University in 2017 with a Bachelors of Sciences in Social Work. I have 5 years of experience in the social work field ranging from outpatient and inpatient mental health, and service to older adults. I have had adversity while growing up and learned the importance of helping others. I enjoy being an advocate for older adults and their needs. 

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go if money was no object?

I would love to backpack across Europe.

What is your biggest inspiration in life or in your job? What do you enjoy most about your work?

My inspiration is to serve older adults by improving their overall quality of life. I enjoy the small meaningful conversations and impacts I have with working with my residents.

Tell us about yourself and family (kids, pets, other involvement in the community):

I am a fur-mama. I have two cats, Fari and Zoe and a dog, Coco. I am an inaugural ASA Rise Fellow Graduate. 

Where is your “go-to” restaurant in Cincinnati?

I hate to add fuel to the Cincinnati Chili debate, but my significant other has converted to root for the Skyline side. We eat skyline every Friday.

What do you enjoy most about being involved with the APA?

I enjoyed the community APA has. It is nice to be around professionals who share a similar passion for advocating for older adults. I love how APA supports students who are interested in the field of aging.

What do you enjoy doing when not working?

Definitely, sleeping in my hammock or flowing down a river in a kayak.

What is the last book you read?

Becoming by Michelle Obama.