Kids Helping Kids

Get On The Bus has thousands of volunteers throughout the state of California and the world for that matter.  However, the volunteers that strike me most are the kids.  Kids seem to understand most what it is like to not have their mommy/daddy around.  This blog entry is dedicated to all of my favorite stories throughout the years of kids helping kids. 

Recently, at a church in the Antelope Valley our superstar bus coordinator Dcn. Gary Poole and his lovely wife Jeannie went to read to a group of preschoolers at their school.  Dcn. Gary Poole read them the "Little Engine that Could," a story whose moral is for others to help the engine achieve its goal.  He then told them about Get On The Bus.  The class was so inspired that they organized a tricyclathon and got sponsors.  On their race day, the kids didn't have to worry about funding because they raised close to $1300 dollars, but they did have to worry about going the right direction around the circle. 

The next bit of exciting news is that Project What, a group of children, teens and young adults who have or have had a parent incarcerated are sponsoring a bus from the Oakland area for Father's Day.  This group is very vocal about how important it is for children to stay in contact with their parents.  On their website one of their participants was quoted, "What I remember most is just missing [mom] tremendously. On days like my first day of kindergarten or my birthday it was always sad because she couldn't be there for me. Mother’s Day was the hardest, because I remember buying her flowers, and then my dad telling me that I couldn’t give them to her. It was these little things that affected me the most. Throughout her incarceration, I was fortunate enough to visit her and stay in close touch, but it is important to understand that most people don’t have that. When a parent is taken away from you, there is nothing in the world that can replace them.”

Finally, a couple of years ago in Northern California, one of our wonderful volunteers went and told an elementary school class about Get On The Bus.  As she was explaining what the program was and how children could ride the bus to see their mommies and daddies who were in prison, one little girl raised her hand.  She said that she had a secret to share with the class and she stood up and said that her mommy was in prison and that she wanted to ride the bus.  That little girl got a chance to go on Get On The Bus and she was reunited with her mother once again.  However, equally as important she was able to release her secret in a comfortable environment where she was accepted by her peers. 

I hope these stories have touched you as much as they have touched me.  Thank you for all of your support and please continue to support me, it doesn't look good if my efforts are stood up by 3 year olds ;p.