About Us
Kate Bagnati | Events
Kate is a wife and mother of three, including one with special needs, and currently works with JumpSTARs, providing respite events for caregivers of children and adults with special needs. Originally from a small town in Central NY, she has been living in Norwalk, CT for the past eight years. In her spare time she enjoys being in nature, creating art, gardening, birding, swimming, and dancing Bollywood.
She understands firsthand how important it is to help women give birth in a safe and supportive environment and has seen mothers and babies thrive when allowed the proper care. Kate believes the same is true for when it is our time to leave this earth. She sees a great need to empower fellow humans to make their own choices so they can feel safe and supported in their end of days. As our time here is fleeting, she’d like to spend the rest of hers making connections, growing community, and holding space for others in great times of transition. She currently acts as our events and social media coordinator. |
Jackie Genovese | Founder
Born and raised in Connecticut, Jackie (she/they) has attended more wakes and funerals than she can remember, which awakened her curiosity of death at a young age. After her grandmother died and she lost her dream job in travel due to Covid, she decided to pursue her interest in end of life work.
Through her job as a caregiver during the pandemic, she was inspired by the resilience of children and how we can learn from them in times of uncertainty, especially when faced with our own impermanence. She believes that the death anxiety we develop as adults can greatly affect other areas of our lives and is passionate about normalizing conversations surrounding death and aging. She enjoys holding space for those in their greatest time of need and recently began helping out at a local funeral home. Even after taking multiple trainings and courses on end of life practices, Jackie realizes how much there still is to learn. She hopes to expand the collective to other areas of the state to help educate and create more connection. Bringing death into everyday life has helped her to live more fully overall, and when she isn't talking about mortality she enjoys writing, being outside, live music, discovering new places, and learning all the things. |
Melissa Bennett | Volunteer
Melissa attended the first community potluck with the Connecticut Death Collective shortly after its inception in June 2022. One month later she was sitting bedside as her Mother took her final breath. Her family was supported by two end-of-life care providers she connected with at that potluck, forever altering her idea of what is possible at the end of life. Melissa is passionate about sharing her experience with others and hopes that through education and community building, others may feel less alone when they or a family member are facing end of life. Melissa is also a certified INNATE Postpartum Care Practitioner. She supports new mothers in the immediate postpartum period as well as those who have been postpartum for many months and years. One is considered postpartum following any pregnancy carry, including those that result in pregnancy loss. The sacred thresholds of birth and death carry many similarities and she is honored to hold space for both. She is currently available for intuitive, heart-centered support. Her care focuses on nourishing meal preparation for the living and grieving and bedside support for the dying. She offers herbal and homeopathic suggestions, tarot and oracle card guidance and a space to be witnessed. |