Get On The Bus is an organization dedicated to serving the children of incarcerated mothers. Each year, Get On The Bus coordinates a statewide event bringing buses of children and their guardians for a Mother's Day visit to the Central California Women's Facility and the Valley State Prison for Women. These are the largest prison facilities for women in the world holding 7,000 inmates-more than half of whom are mothers. Chowchilla is a remote community in the central San Joaquin Valley that is three to nine hours by bus from the urban centers we serve.

Get On The Bus is more than just a bus ride. Families are guided through every step of the prison paperwork process by caring volunteers who get to know them. During the bus trip children receive healthy snacks and age appropriate games and puzzles. While visiting, Get On The Bus provides a lunch and a family photograph. On the long ride home counselors meet with the children individually to help them cope with leaving their mothers behind. Each child receives a teddy bear and letter from his or her mother, and volunteers hand out box dinners.

We are seeking corporate sponsorships to underwrite the costs of transportation, meals, toys, and the paperwork processing and extra guards required by the prisons.

When Does It Take Place?

Get On The Bus takes place on the Friday before Mother’s Day. Next year it will be on May 7, 2006

We are looking for people who will sponsor a family or who can

Help with the hospitality committee
Gather medium size teddy bears to be given to children on the way home
Donate $ for lunches on the bus on the way home
Donate $10 for the fee to get a birth certificate for a child who needs one
Organize a group to put together goodie bags to occupy children on our bus
Donate funds for the rental of the buses

If you wish to send a check, please make it out to the following:

GET ON THE BUS
3424 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90010

For more information
Call 213-637-7456
Fax 213-637-6161