Jennifer Cook (aka Cookie), Job Coach

Jennifer Cook (a.k.a. Cookie) is currently working as a Job Coach with Favarh at Beanz & Co. She started with Favarh in 2010 and returned to Favarh in 2019 after taking time to help support her aging parents at home.

Jen grew up in East Granby. She attended Hartford College For Women and the University of Hartford majoring in Women’s Studies and History. After school, she moved to Washington DC and lived there for 10 years where she held a long list of jobs. She eventually moved back to East Granby and started her professional relationship with Favarh’s Day Program as a Direct Support Professional. Since then she’s taken advantage of opportunities to work in a variety of different Favarh programs. Recently, Jen earned her master’s degree in Therapeutic Recreation from Southern Connecticut State University. She achieved this impressive milestone one or two classes at a time while continuing to work full-time at Favarh.

“Being a creative person, this job fuels that part of my nature,” Jen says. Jen’s position evolved in a creative direction thanks to the flexibility in Favarh policies which encourages staff to share their passions, interests and gifts with the individuals they support. For Jen, theater played a big part in her upbringing and her life. She relies on these skills now as she interacts with her individuals.

The biggest challenge Jen’s faced in life was caring for her parents in their last years. “It’s a strange thing to commit to, helping your parents pass their final days. Making sure they are well cared for and that their death is a good death. It’s a big accomplishment. My dad was diabetic. He became septic and ended up in the hospital. It was quick. My mom had Alzheimer’s and she was on hospice for almost 2 years.” Jen knows she fulfilled her goal of making their days and their deaths “good.”

In her work with Favarh individuals, Jen sees a direct parallel with her parents' care. “My goal for Favarh is offering recreation therapy and making every day a good day. I learned about that growing up with my mom and caring for her as she aged. Our goal every day was to taste something she liked, listen to the music she liked, hear the voices she knew and loved, making every day a good day. At Favarh we are making sure people have joy every day. That’s my goal, bringing joy to individuals and making every day count.”

Jen lives in the East Granby home she grew up in with two cats and her dog Agnes.