EVANSVILLE, Ind. — In the aftermath of a November 2005 tornado that killed several of her family members, including her 2-year-old son, C.J., Evansville resident Kathryn Martin has developed a rapid-response, child care assistance project called "C.J.'s Bus."

C.J.'s Bus is a donated school bus that was rebuilt, repainted and equipped with a large area of play space, as well as games, toys, TVs and other items. Following natural disasters in the Midwest, Martin and a group of volunteers will travel to the locations in the bus to provide a safe haven for children, and to keep them entertained.

"Having gone through the Evansville tornado and having lost one of my four children, I know how important it is to help children maintain their innocence in these disasters while providing parents a few hours to attend to their own recovery needs," Martin said. "I could think of no greater legacy to my son than to help put smiles on the faces of other children facing these traumatic situations and to help by lightening the child care burden on their parents, if only for a few minutes, a few hours or a few days."

For more information on C.J.'s Bus, visit www.cjsbus.org.