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April 25, 2025

Meet Jenn Miller

Food Service Manager and Wellness Educator Jenn Miller’s favorite Hopewell moments have to do with food. . . and no wonder! She started her Hopewell career in the kitchen as head cook in 2011 and in 2016 she moved into her present position. She also is a certified personal trainer. She said, “Nutrition and fitness are personal passions of mine – especially how they impact the mind and body.”

“Two of my favorite experiences with staff and residents are making apple cider with Hopewell apples and making maple syrup from our sugarbush,” Jenn said. “After they’ve been working a while, everyone loves to have hot maple syrup on cold vanilla ice cream as a treat.”

Before Hopewell, Jenn was in the workforce as a nursing assistant in a nursing home setting, which she found very stressful. When she found Hopewell through a friend of a friend, she knew she was home.

“My heart goes out to people with mental illness. I see their struggles to overcome their illnesses and I know that this is not what they want for themselves. It is personally meaningful to be a part of anything I can to help them heal, see things differently, and to help them have some sort of normalcy.”

Jenn plans three full meals a day seven days a week, cooking everything from scratch with the best and freshest foods. Some of the vegetables are sourced in our gardens, and chicken, ham, and beef comes from our livestock program. She works with Kelly Flynn, Garden and Landscape Manager, to select foods grown in the garden. She also schedules the animals to be processed, orders chicks, and works with other farm staff to bring pigs and cows to the farm.

Working Towards Residents’ Independence

When residents are getting ready to transition to more independence, Jenn works with them one on one or holds small class cooking instruction. “I put together transition packets with kitchen safety tips, shopping lists for pantry basics and healthy groceries, menu planning instructions, and more. As a group, we pick 5-6 things that are easy to prepare and nutritious. The goal is to learn to make something you can prepare for yourself even on a bad day.”

The class focuses on eggs, a breakfast menu, and pasta dishes, then cooks together once a week. “It’s rewarding when residents see that cooking was not as overwhelming as they thought. So many times when we eat what the residents make someone says, ‘Oh my gosh this is so good!’ They are proud of themselves for making it.”.

Part of the transition to independence is becoming familiar with and confident about new situations, so Jenn teaches residents how to go grocery shopping by visiting ALDI and Walmart. “We go over the lay of the grocery store, where to find basics, how to avoid junk food, and how to find the nutritious staples they need. I also teach them to compare prices.”

Jenn continued, “When you are having a bad day, your tendency is to grab the most convenient thing, but I teach residents how to find food that will help your brain. You can nourish your body and it does not have to be complicated or fast food.”

A Great Day at Hopewell

A great day at Hopewell for Jenn is “Just seeing the healing process. Residents come to Hopewell lost and confused, not joining the community much. Then I can watch their progress as they grow, see them laugh with a group of friends and come out of their shell. Food brings them together and is a shared experience. We recently changed our seating and many residents sit at a big table in the middle of the dining room, where they laugh and chat. This has made a tremendous difference.”

Some of her favorite memories are summertime Field Days that are organized with various team games, relay games, pool noodle polo, water balloon sling shots, and the like. “It’s great to see residents all of a sudden running, they lit up, they were competitive and laughing. They let down their hair and are kids again. Even some of the hardest ones to draw out came out to join the fun,” Jenn remembered.

Among Jenn’s goals are to continue to grow the nutrition program, keep things fresh and incorporate new recipes. She wants to get more hands on with people, get involved in gardening and preparing the food.

At home, Jenn loves to work in her garden in new raised beds that her husband built. They are empty nesters and she loves to spend time with her children and grandchildren. Hiking is another favorite activity, as is travel out west. Montana, Wyoming and Yellowstone are on their list for future trips.

Thank you, Jenn, for everything you do for Hopewell!