Who do I ask for a reference after a layoff? - 2 months and counting

I worry a reference will only confirm dates of employment. I worked as a line cook before this. I have one former client who liked my work. Who did you use?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 2 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.

Keep everything in writing and save the confirmation numbers. It made the follow-up calls so much easier.