TimMark Angels

Timothy Darin Bankston 6-27-69/8-16-70 Mark Dean Bankston 4-15-71

Mission: Bringing inspiration and encouragement through the written word and providing hope to both financially and developmentally challenged children primarily suffering from hearing impairments, Down Syndrome and Autism.

TiMMark Angels has been in the making all of my life. In my earliest memories which go back to about 2 years old I always had a love for God and people which resulted in a strong desire to do something, anything to make a difference. Over the years this was expressed in the way I lived my life and how I viewed life around me. I lost my son Timothy when he was 13 months old and then 8 months later my son Mark was still born. This had a profound impact on me but still I never lost my love for God or others. I always loved to draw and paint especially people and in the 90’s I was on the phone doodling as I always did when I got still. I sketched the little guys you see on the TiMMark logo., Timothy from memory and Mark from my mind. I immediately named them TiMMark and felt that it would mean something someday. In the meantime, I drew them on every painting or drawing I did in place of the usual artist signature. I put them on business cards for some of the artwork that I was compensated for. Then it was forgotten. I satisfied my writing skills while working as Director of Membership for the Lake Houston Chamber of Commerce. After I retired, I realized early on that I was actually a publisher when I started publishing the whole Kid and Kaboodle magazine. I again used the little angels for TiMMark Publications. Page 4 of the magazine has always had a very small picture of them, and it says a TiMMark Publication. The idea of forming a non-profit has been circulating for a while. I have been asked if the magazine was a non-profit because of the amount that I give away and I always joked that it was not official but yes, it is nonprofit. It has been a ministry for me and in the past a few of my friends and acquaintances mused about the Prayer and Praise on Main being non-profit as well. I am so excited that it is now a reality. TiMMark Angels a 501(c)3 is striving to enable the eyes of a child to see the world as a safe and happy place. TiMMark Publications will continue to supply wholesome and helpful reading material including the existing magazine,

the Whole Kid and Kaboodle, children’s books and other works of print that promote faith and family values. Some books will focus on stories of those that have become triumphant though financially or developmentally challenged. Money raised by TiMMark Publications will fund TiMMark Angels’ efforts to support other non-profits or individual families that will benefit the hearing impaired, those with Down Syndrome and those afflicted with Autism. TiMMark Publications is also partnering with the New York Life Foundation in support and funding of childhood bereavement. We are able to do this because of the partnership between Albert Melendez, the New York Life Grief-Sensitive School Ambassador and TiMMark Angels. For more information you can view the website timmarkangels.org and we encourage you to support the magazine, events such as the Prayer and Praise on Main to help and show support to families that need hope and help

Jerri Bankston, the founder of TiMMark Angels has led a life of service, first to God then to her family which included her husband and six children She also enjoyed an extensive career with promoting businesses, first with her own for 20 plus years and then to the Lake Houston Chamber where she served on staff as Director of Membership. Upon retiring, Jerri furthered her creativity by starting a publishing company with the first publication being a family magazine “The Whole Kid-And-Kaboodle” for the area. She has published a book, “God You Must Think I’m Crazy” and has four children’s books ready to be published.

http://grievingstudents.org/

Over the past decade, the New York Life Foundation has served as the largest corporate funder of childhood bereavement support. An important part of our work in this space has been the creation of a first-of-its kind resource for K-12 educators and school personnel: grievingstudents.org. This online tool offers a comprehensive set of materials and modules to help schools better support grieving students. This site was developed and endorsed by the Coalition to Support Grieving Students, a collaboration of the leading K-12 education professional organizations convened by the New York Life Foundation and the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement.