On March 4, 2001, Bethany Markowski was 11 years old. She never came home.

Twenty-five years later, her mother Jonnie founded The Bethany Markowski Foundation, not just to keep searching, but to make sure no other family has to live what hers has.

On March 4, 2026, we hosted our annual Tennessee Missing Children's Day Community Event in Lebanon, TN. Families showed up. Community members showed up.

Now we're building two free programs, and we need your help to finish them.

📖 The Tennessee Families of Missing Children Handbook: A practical, compassionate guide for families in the earliest, most disorienting days after a child goes missing. What to do in the first 24 hours. Who to call. What your rights are. How to survive. No family should have to figure this out alone.

💻 Free Child Safety Online Courses: Accessible, plain-language courses for parents, caregivers, and educators covering online safety, recognizing warning signs, and what to do if something feels wrong. Available to anyone, anywhere, at no cost.

Your support makes both of these possible.

Here's what your gift does:

$25 → Covers the printing and distribution of one handbook chapter to a family in need
$50 → Covers one month of hosting costs for the full online safety course, keeping it free for every family who needs it
$100 → Puts the complete handbook in 10 families' hands
$250 → Helps sponsor a free community child safety workshop, covering materials, printing, and space for up to 30 families
$500 → Funds the full development of one online safety course module, from script to screen, built by our team and made permanently free for families everywhere

Bethany's story doesn't end with what happened to her. It ends with what we do because of her.

The event was just Chapter 1. Help us write what comes next.

Support the Foundation →

The Bethany Markowski Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Lebanon, TN. EIN: 41-2321010. All donations are tax-deductible.

What Comes Next: Building Resources That Protect Kids Every Day

By The Bethany Markowski Foundation

What Comes Next: Building Resources That Protect Kids Every Day

On March 4, 2001, an 11-year-old girl named Bethany Markowski disappeared. Her mother has never stopped fighting.

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