A Milwaukee funeral home is making a plea to the community -- a plea that if heard, would result in less business.
"We realize Milwaukee is not in a good state. We're approaching the summer time and last summer wasn't a good summer for us. Some people lost relatives, family members, we lost some," said Mark Banks II, with Banks Memorials.
Edna Banks ran Banks Memorials for almost 50 years, before she passed away in 2015. Since then, her three grandchildren took over. Banks told her family to serve the community.
"Make sure that whatever you do that you're doing it out of the goodness of your heart, but also out of the betterment of your community."
The new owners are keeping their grandmother's legacy alive by taking to Facebook. They're begging for the violence in Milwaukee to stop, while offering a number to call if anyone needs a friend.
"That post was actually kind of like a cry of saying hey we're here. We're ready to help if you have anything," explained Banks II.
Their goal is to be a place for people to visit way before their funeral.
"Unfortunately, it's all to familiar. I lost a lot of my friends growing up to gun violence. I don't think I can even name or mention or count how many," he said.
A funeral home may be an unusual place to go for help, but owners say the community has to go somewhere.
"Milwaukee is still another city like any other city out there that if people put in the time and effort you can definitely change it," said Banks II.
You can call (414) 464-2200 to contact Banks Memorials if you need help. The owners hope to start outreach programs within the coming months.
