Learning a bus route, deciphering important pieces of mail, and calculating tips at restaurants are tasks that many people don’t have to think twice about. At Life Steps Foundation in Santa Maria, staff currently help 22 people who have developmental disabilities successfully complete those activities and countless more.
“We’re person-centered,” the site’s program manager, Cynthia Collins, told the Sun. “Everything we do for our individuals, it’s their choices. They are all working on goals that help them to be [independent] or maintain their independence. … We don’t do cookie-cutter plans for everybody. Everything is designed just for that person.”
From Oct. 3 to 11, Life Steps Foundation is throwing its annual Fun Run for Inclusion to raise money and spread awareness. It’s a virtual 5K event that participants complete anytime in any manner they choose, splitting it into pieces if necessary and making the distance accessible to them.
There are also opportunities to attend in-person events. On Oct. 7, join the Lompoc crew starting at 10 a.m. from the Aldi’s parking lot at 729 N. H St., or meet up with folks in Santa Maria starting at 2:30 p.m. from the Grocery Outlet parking lot, 1948 S. Broadway.
Taking the steps
Learn more information about resources and register to join the Fun Run for Inclusion at lifestepsfoundation.org. Participants can complete their miles in any way accessible to them between Oct. 3 to 11.
“It’s for everybody. We go out. We walk. We roll. We run. Whatever we would like to do and wearing our shirts that we get from the Fun Run,” Collins said. “Making sure that the community knows that there’s individuals like this out in their community, making them know that they don’t have to be scared of them. … They’re like you and I, and they want the same things.”
The statewide nonprofit has been assisting people with cerebral palsy, autism, multiple sclerosis, and more since 1983. Each location, from Long Beach to Pacifica, offers a different scope of care for particular stages of life.
The Central Coast branch, reaching from Lompoc to San Luis Obispo, mainly focuses on programs that assist seniors in their homes and help adults live independently. Some individuals are bedbound and need daily care, while others have routines including work or school.
In Santa Maria, funding and client referrals stem from Tri-Counties Regional Center, and team members aid with everything including cooking, exercises, and paperwork. Without the work that Life Steps contributes, Collins said, homeless shelters and other local facilities would be even more strained.
She has worked with the organization for 13 years and remembers serving individuals who have been with Life Steps longer than she has.
“It’s so rewarding when our individuals meet their goals, or they’re happy to see us every day,” Collins said. “There’s good days and bad days, and the good days just outweigh the bad. I’ve always wanted to help people and make people’s lives better.”
Sabrina Long, a program supervisor, is another one of the roughly 30 staff members at the Santa Maria branch. She makes frequent visits to clients’ homes, answering their excited phone calls and spending time with them as often as she can.
One of the most challenging barriers she assists with is reading. For example, individuals may not know their rent went up because it came as a notice in the mail that they threw away.
“It’s little things like that that somebody takes for granted. Like, reading is everywhere,” Long said. “Could you imagine somebody not being able to read, or write, or even advocate for themselves, standing at a bus stop and not knowing when to get on, not knowing how to get home, or anything like that? It’s just scary, and that’s why a lot of parents shelter their kids.”
Life Steps Foundation works to make people as self-sufficient as possible. In addition to practical tasks, employees take clients out in the community to help them engage with others. Social trips help them feel less isolated.
“For me, a lot of it is just putting myself in their shoes,” Long said. “I have kids. I have family, and I would want a company like this to help and take care of anybody that I had that I was worried about, intellectually or physically.”
Highlights
• A community cleanup is planned in Guadalupe on Oct. 10 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for residents to dispose of unwanted items. Bring scrap metal, green waste, wood, and other bulky items to LeRoy Park, 4630 11th St., for disposal by Waste Management. Bring a photo ID and a Waste Management bill.
• Solar panel recycling is now available throughout the entire county. Drop-off is open at the Marborg facility in Santa Maria, 1850 W. Betteravia Road, for a cost of $40 per panel. Schedule an appointment by calling (805) 963-1852, Ext. 1.
Reach Staff Writer Madison White at mwhite@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in September 17 – September 24, 2026.
