My Story
As a funeral director and embalmer - and now certified Grief Recovery Specialist - I’ve devoted my career to supporting people through some of life’s most challenging moments. Through my work, I see a critical gap in grief resources within the communities I serve. This need is especially evident in the local Blackfoot communities— Kainaiwa and Piikani —where the devastating effects of the opioid crisis have made loss a weekly experience in some cases. I've worked with people who are in the best possible position to experience a loss - support system in place, financial stability, religious and social circles fully in tact, and yet even those with every advantage can find themselves crippled with grief, unable to heal from the pain.
Growing up, my mother and grandmother worked with seniors. Naturally, I developed a soft spot for the elderly and I came to respect them for their full lives and vibrant histories. Yet, I see how difficult it is for some seniors to have lived a healthy and active life, filled with family and the comfort of familiar spaces, only to have lost so much as they reach their later years and become confined to wheelchairs at assisted care facilities.
Because I grew up in a small town, and because I work in a small town, I see the disparity in resources available to rural communities when compared to city centres - and yet small towns are the back bone of this province.
To address these issues, I founded the Lean on Me Network Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to bridging the gap in grief support. Our mission is to provide accessible grief resources for vulnerable populations, train community members in grief support therapy, fund research in grief care, and create a robust network that strengthens how we support those experiencing loss.
I believe that everyone deserves support in their grief, and that everyone should receive the care they need to heal. Through the Lean on Me Initiative, I am committed to fostering a future where no one has to navigate their grief journey alone.
Meet Our Founder
Jes Knoop
B.A. in Religious Studies, Licensed Funeral Director & Embalmer, Certified Grief Recovery Specialist
A proud mother of two boys and self-proclaimed "Life-Long Student," I call Lethbridge, Alberta my home. I hold a degree in Religious Studies from the University of Lethbridge (2019), with minors in Asian Studies and Anthropology. My undergraduate thesis, "Religion as a Coping System," explored how Buddhists harness their beliefs to help navigate grief, loss, and trauma. I pursued numerous courses and independent studies that explored loss and trauma from a religious perspective — a passion that has shaped my work and inspired my mission. I went on to obtain my Diploma in Funeral Services, gaining both my Funeral Director and Embalmer licenses in 2022, where I finally found my calling in a career shaped by helping others in the first steps of their grief journey. In 2025, I became a certified Grief Recovery Specialist through the Grief Recovery Institute so that I can better support others in their training to become grief care providers.