What is Get on the Bus?
The Get on the Bus Program brings children and their guardians from throughout the state of California to visit their mothers and fathers in prison. This annual event offers free transportation for the children and their caregivers to the prison, travel bags for the children, comfort care bags for the caregivers, a photo of each child with his or her parent and meals for the day (snacks on the bus, lunch at the prison and dinner on the way home). On the bus trip home, each child receives a teddy bear and a letter from their parent. There is also a counselor present on each bus for any child in need.
First Presbyterian Church is sponsoring two buses this year. The first is Saturday, May 30th to California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo. The second is on June 20th Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad.
An estimated 856,000 children (nearly 9% of the state’s children) in California
have a parent currently involved in the California adult criminal justice system.
In a very real way, these innocent children receive the same sentence as their parents. Without the Get on the Bus Program, it is very common that children begin to believe their parents have forgotten them or no longer care about them. Can you imagine a worse feeling for a child?
You can help by providing cash donations to support the cost of the bus, volunteering to ride on the bus or donating items for the bus ride. A donation needs list will be coming in your Sunday Connection soon! If you have any questions, contact Cindy Henderson or Gail Lynn on the Missions Team.
Thank you all for helping to support this much needed program.
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