Our community is both safe and supportive, with knowledgeable partners who will help adults with special needs nurture connections with their families, the larger community, and our precious land.

Big Wave was founded by four local residents and parents of adults with special needs.

The Big Wave Project is a local, parent driven, nonprofit organization founded in 2000 that helps adults with special needs maximize their full potential by providing housing and a place to belong, in an environment where they can thrive.

Founders Steve and Jamie Barber and Jeff and Valerie Peck each have a family member with special needs. Their goal is to provide a safe and nurturing place for adults with special needs to reach their full potential, while being integrated members of the community.

Our Mission

The Big Wave Project is dedicated to creating an inclusive, residential community where individuals with developmental disabilities can live a purposeful and independent life among their peers, while thriving within a supportive environment.

Our Mission

The Big Wave Project is dedicated to creating an inclusive, residential community where individuals with developmental disabilities can live a purposeful and independent life among their peers, while thriving within a supportive environment.

Working with adults with special needs on our baseball team, I learned how important this population is to our community. Each of them have added meaning to our lives. Big Wave is a wonderful asset to our community — a place adults with special needs can call home.

Working with adults with special needs on our baseball team, I learned how important this population is to our community. Each of them have added meaning to our lives. Big Wave will be a wonderful asset to our community — a place adults with special needs can call home.

Big Wave works closely with community leaders.

Our comprehensive project includes a community center designed to support and enrich adults with special needs, including many nature-based activities and venues that our larger community can enjoy.

Big Wave is a 501(c)(3) organization. We are parent- and family-driven, and funded through families, private donations and grants from foundations, corporations, and public agencies.*

Jeff Peck

Big Wave CEO and Founder Jeffrey Peck has been the founder and CEO of Big Wave, as well as its manager, for over 20 years. His

Kim Gainza

Big Wave Board Member Kim Gainza has been involved in the Special Olympics since 2007 as a team parent and fundraiser for the Coastside Special Olympics

Mary Ellen Berzin

Big Wave Board Member Mary Ellen Berzin is a Doctor of Optometry and the chairperson of the Big Wave Annual Harvest Festival auction. As an executive

Scott Holmes

Big Wave Board Member Scott M. Holmes has consulted as a Civil and Environmental Engineer all around the world, and we are lucky to have him

Steve St. Marie

Big Wave Board Member Steve St. Marie, on our Board of Directors, is an Economist, Regulatory Analyst, and Policy Advisor at the California Public Utilities Commission.

Terry McKinney

Big Wave Board Member Terry McKinney is on the Big Wave Board of Directors. He is a Superintendent of Water Treatment and Production for the City

*All donations are tax-deductible, as Big Wave Group is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, number 20-5666260.

With 1 in 54 children now estimated to have autism spectrum disorder, community support is critical.

Respecting the land.

Big Wave is home to a farm with precious wildlife and the land in mind. For that reason, we never use pesticides or herbicides. Using the highest possible environmental standards, we are working to keep our community clean.

Working on the land will provide special insight into our community’s natural wonders.

Safeguarding the environment.

We believe that adults with special needs thrive in the outdoors. Big Wave is committed to teaching them how to preserve and protect our land. Our parents and volunteers collaborate with experts, while our pesticide-free farm and gardens incorporate an appreciation for nature and the study of sustainable practices.

We will serve adults with special needs, way beyond any one diagnosis.

My son is my total heart. Knowing he has a place where he can be safe and thrive when I am gone… is everything.

Supporting the community.

We invite you to get to know the Big Wave Farm and our partner, One Step Beyond, Inc., who will provide culinary programs for adults with special needs.

Big Wave
Farm

One Step
Beyond

Local Businesses

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