Kathryn Martin, right, lends a hand up the stairs to Haylee Gunther, 3, center, as Charlie Bailey, 3, comes running to go in C.J.'s Bus on Friday in Greenville, Ky. The bus provides a brief sanctuary from the stress brought on by disaster.

Greenville, Ky. ? Cody McElrath staked out a spot to line up his miniature cars with two playmates, then exclaimed “let’s ram them.” Nearby, three girls played games or colored, looking up occasionally to watch an animated video.

The children showed no outward signs of the terror a few days earlier when tornadoes ravaged this area of western Kentucky. Instead, while their parents were busy reassembling their lives, the children were content playing inside a former school bus converted into a mobile playroom just for kids who have been through disasters.

“It’s the simple things in life that keep kids busy and keep them happy,” said Kathryn Martin, the driving force behind the goodwill bus. “And during times like this, parents are not able to, so why not come here and help and do a small part.”

Response to tragedy

Martin’s motivation to comfort kids in times of disaster sprang from her own tragedy. Her 2-year-old son, C.J., was among 25 people killed in 2005 by a tornado that struck the Evansville, Ind., area.

Now, the play area on wheels is known as “C.J.’s Bus.” The outside of the bright yellow bus features pictures of C.J., smiling and giving a thumbs up sign.

Martin initially resisted having C.J.’s picture on the bus, but now she realizes it’s a welcoming sign.

“How else is a kid going to know that this is for them,” she said. “None of these kids have ever questioned whether this bus is for them or not. They just want to come in the happy boy’s bus, and that makes me feel good.”

Sense of normalcy

Besides giving children some sense of a return to normal, the mobile playground supervised by volunteers also gives frazzled parents a chance to focus on recovering their lives.

The donated, rebuilt bus is stocked with toys, games, coloring books and a flat-screen television in a 280-square-foot play space. The back of the bus has a small area for volunteers – a bathroom and shower, beds and cooking facilities.

The bus arrived Friday in Muhlenberg County as three of the seven Kentucky storm victims were being laid to rest. They were among 59 people killed by the powerful storms last week across the South.

It was the second goodwill mission for “C.J.’s Bus” and its volunteers, based at Evansville. Its first was last October, when it was taken to Owensboro, Ky., to comfort youngsters following a tornado.

Organizers raised $124,000 in contributions in less than a year. The toys, food for the children and work on the bus were donated. Martin hopes that someday a fleet of goodwill buses will be available for other parts of the country.

Sixteen kids had tried out the playground bus midafternoon of its first day in Greenville, parked next to a Red Cross service center.

As one child left, she shyly thanked Martin, who replied, “You’re welcome. I’m glad you came to see me.”