Marriage at Work: PossAbilities

(ABC 6 NEWS) – Monday is Valentine’s Day and one workplace in Rochester creates opportunities for people with disabilities to connect with their community, but behind the scenes, there are two couples who met thanks to their jobs at PossAbilities.

"I was out on a bus route and Tara was out on a bus route and she was wearing a Green Bay Packers sweatshirt and I’m a Packers fan I noticed her from that right away," PossAbilities Manager of Life Enrichment, Thomas Booth said.

Tara and Thomas Booth met at PossAbilities in 2008. They met and were engaged six weeks later.

"We got married at Berean Community Church it is on the northside of Rochester there and then we had our reception at the Sportsman Club in Stewartville," PossAbilities Individualized Home Support and Respite Manager, Tara Booth said.

Tara just came back to PossAbilities in 2021, they said working together has made them closer.

"Over the course of 13 years you kind of get to know each other and you have that silent communication that you kind of get to know what each person wants and needs," Thomas said.

Jamie and Danny O’Connor met at PossAbilities in 2016.

"I walked in the door and it was love at first sight I was like who is that," PossAbilities Director of Design Thinking, Danny O’Connor said.

They had their first date on Friday the 13th and by the third date, they knew they would be with each other forever.

"I started planning our wedding date she did so I just pulled out my calendar and I said when is the next Friday the 13th and it was in October so I said we should get married on the next Friday the 13th in October," PossAbilities Director of Home and Community Based Services, Jamie O’Connor said.

Both couples got married within a year and they said they just knew each other was the one and working together at PossAbilities has helped their relationships.

"We spend 24 hours a day together. Yeah we talk about it a lot, yeah we do, and our friends say you guys are together all the time do you have any issues? And it’s like no we are living our best lives ever, we are," the O’Connors said.

As for making their marriages work, Jamie and Danny said to not try to change each other, and Tara and Thomas said communication is key.