Who do I ask for a reference after a layoff? - what worked for you?

I worry a reference will only confirm dates of employment. I have read a lot of threads here and could not find my exact situation. A colleague offered to vouch for me. Is a client acceptable?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 8 months ago, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.

I kept a note of my results so my references could be specific. They appreciated it.