On May 7, Emmanuel Presbyterian Church of Thousand Oaks will help transport and chaperone children in Ventura and Los Angeles counties on May 7 so they can visit their incarcerated mothers for Mother’s Day weekend. The trip is part of the “Get on the Bus” program that brings children and their incarcerated parents together for visits.

Fifteen volunteers were recruited from the church to assist with planned activities and lunch during the visits, and also to serve as chaperones, especially with children whose caregivers weren’t able to make the trip.

This will be the first time that bus service will be offered from Ventura County to the California Institution for Women in Corona. The GOTB program, recently spotlighted in Good Housekeep ing magazine, is tailored to the needs of the children. Each child receives a goody bag filled with games and toys, a keepsake photo of them with their parent, a letter from their parent, a teddy bear and stationery to write letters to their parent. The children and the caregivers and chaperones accompanying them also get a special T-shirt.

The program was spearheaded by Sister Suzanne Jabro, a member of the Center of Restorative Justice Works. GOTB began in 1999 with one bus transporting 17 children to prisons in Chowchilla, Calif., and expanded to annual events for both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. This year, an estimated 55 buses will transport up to 1,500 children.

The average cost per child is $75, funded entirely by charitable contributions. Tax-deductible financial donations with checks marked “Bus 10 Ventura” can be mailed to Karen Plante, Southern California’s regional coordinator, at GOTB Headquarters, 5411 Camellia Ave., North Hollywood, CA 91601.

For more information, e-mail Plante at Karen@getonthebus.us or call (310) 903-3345.