Jan is a relatively new face at Team 16, but she’s been part of the Supported Living team for a long time – almost 25 years. She moved from Team 12 to Team 16 in September 2013. “Jan quickly acclimated to her new roommate and the staff at Team 16,” says Alethea Hansen, site supervisor at Team 16. “We enjoy having Jan as a part of our team.”
“I’m still getting used to things here, but I like it,” says Jan. She says she and her roommate get along well and other than having a new address, Jan still enjoys everything she always did before. “I only just moved to the building next door,” she says with a smile.
Jan works at Red Lobster, and if you’re a fan of their Cheddar Bay Biscuits, chances are that Jan made them for you during her 25-year post at the popular restaurant chain. “I used to work there every day, but now I just work there three days a week,” she says. “I’ve made a lot of biscuits!” When asked if she’s ready to retire yet, she said she’s been giving it a lot of thought lately. “I have to decide if this is still what I want to do. It’s a good job. I like what I do most days.”
When she’s not making tasty biscuits, Jan has many hobbies and interests to keep her busy. She’s very active in her church, Trinity Presbyterian, where she sings in the choir and participates in Bible study. She also enjoys sewing and has worked with an instructor that has helped her learn how to make her own clothes. To date she’s made two dresses, a pair of pants and a house coat. Jan is looking forward to the sewing lessons starting up again this spring. “I really like sewing. I like to pick out the fabric and work on the project. I’ve also made some blankets, too.”
Also an avid traveler, Jan has been to several foreign countries and many of the states. Her last trip was to the city of Boston over the Independence Day holiday where she traveled with her mother and sisters to visit her niece. “It was a nice trip and now I’m planning a trip to Anaheim, California this summer to go to a conference, and probably Disneyland.” She says if she could plan her “dream trip,” she’d go back to Norway where she visited when she was younger. “My family is from there and it is so pretty.”
Jan also enjoys spending some quality time with her long-time boyfriend, Mark. The two of them have a regularly standing date night on Thursdays where they meet up with some friends and go out to dinner or just visit. She and Mark also love to go to movies or concerts at Shelter Gardens or the University of Missouri. “I’ve always loved music. My dad is in the choir at MU, so we go to the concerts to hear him sing.”
It goes without saying, family is very important to Jan. Her parents live here in Columbia and she has two sisters and a brother that she visits with regularly. “I like my life,” says Jan. “I’ve got everything I need; my family, my job, my friends, my church.”