On Wednesday, community members in Santa Maria kicked off a month of celebrating diversity and awareness at the World Autism Acceptance Day and Child Abuse Prevention event.
Organized by Children’s Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County, the event aimed to foster autism acceptance and raise awareness about child abuse on the Central Coast.
“One in 54 children have autism, and it’s important to [understand] that just because you’re different doesn’t mean you don’t belong,” Jacqui Banta, the chief operating officer of Children’s Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County, told KSBY. “They bring immense value to our community, to our schools, to our classrooms, to our workplaces, to our relationships.”
The City of Santa Maria’s Recreation and Parks City Rangers were also there in solidarity, showcasing one of its decorated ranger trucks for attendees to check out.
Wednesday’s event kicks off a series of activities this month celebrating neurodiversity.
“We want to make sure that everyone with autism knows that they belong here, and everyone in the community knows that they can benefit from knowing somebody on the spectrum,” Banta said.
For more information on Children’s Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County and its upcoming events, you can visit the organization’s website.