by Therese Sherlock, CSJ
For 24 years Antonieta Zuniga drove a city bus in Los Angeles. She worked five days and rested two. Now retired and a widow, Antonieta rests five days and works two. She works weekends driving families to visit relatives in prisons five to ten hours away, leaving from 1:00 to 3:00 AM to arrive for 8:00 AM visiting hours.
“A lot of people depend on me,” she says. “It’s a good feeling.”
For many years Antonieta has visited her son in prison once a month. He is serving a 35-year to life sentence for second degree robbery. “He was president of his class in high school,” she says. “But he got into the nightmare of drugs and the three strikes law gave him the long sentence. I’m hoping for a miracle.”
Now her son is doing what Antonieta calls “good time.” He has earned a two-year AA college degree and is working on a BA. “He had to ask to study,” she explains. “It’s not part of prison unless you ask.”
Antonieta found herself alone after her husband died. She converted the family van for camping into California’s only shuttle service to prisons. She already had a commercial driver’s license. Her business card reads: “We are new transportation services for families and friends of individuals that are incarcerated in the California State and Federal Prisons.”
“People were always calling me, asking for rides, needing help filling out forms for background checks. Visitors don’t know they need money for vending machines in order to eat and accounts for those inside to call out. I gave out my phone number. Inmates spread it inside. Families call when they want to go.
“Lots of people run shuttles to Vegas, but I’m going to prisons.” Antonieta says. “I transport the best people in the world. Who else has passengers screened by the FBI?” She makes trips every weekend to one of ten prisons. “I make the trip even if only one person goes, and I lose money. I have been paid in spaghetti and kitchen cleaning. It’s a matter of service, not money.”
- What widows do you know who find creative ways to serve others?