Imagine the fear, loneliness and even shame of a child whose parent has gone to jail. Some may not see this parent for months and even years at a time. A concerned group got together and decided to do something about this. They look upon a child not being able to visit the parent as a violation against children. In California alone there are 200,000 children whose parents are in jail. Bishop Zavala and Sr. Suzanne Jabro, CSJ, saw this need and decided to take action. Thus was born Get On The Bus project, originally funded by women’s religious orders. This project takes children equipped with food and backpack on the four hour trip to visit their mom or dad. Each child receives a teddy bear and brings a letter that they give to the parent during the visit. Counselors are available for the children as sometimes these visits are very stressful for them. The volunteers who accompany the children see this service as a joy and honor. They say: “We come in peace, not judgment.” What a wonderful way to put into practice what Jesus tells us in Matthew 25.
