Adult Insurance Literacy for Resilient Communities

Adult literacy

San Gabriel Valley

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Many Angelenos—especially in Black, Latinx, Native American, disabled, and veteran communities—are severely underinsured due to a lack of accessible insurance education. They often don’t understand what’s covered, how to read their policy, or how to challenge unfair decisions. The insurance system is intentionally complex and inaccessible to those without formal education or advocacy networks. When disaster hits, the consequences are devastating: delayed recoveries, missed deadlines, and financial ruin. Our community workshops and outreach programs were created to fill this gap—meeting people where they are, speaking their language, and equipping them with the knowledge to make informed insurance decisions before the next crisis hits.

This grant supports a community-centered initiative to expand insurance literacy and advocacy training in Pasadena and Altadena as well as the San Gabriel Valley. This work focuses on historically underinsured and underserved communities who are often left out of formal insurance education and disaster preparedness efforts. With this grant funding, we will:
host free insurance literacy workshops and community presentations;
attend local events and resource fairs to expand outreach;
train participants to understand, evaluate, and advocate for better outcomes with their insurance carriers.
Our team simplifies complex insurance language, teaches residents to identify coverage gaps, and equips them with tools to document losses and navigate claims. We work in trusted community spaces like churches, schools, and veteran centers offering workshops in English, Spanish, and ASL. This project is rooted in trust, accessibility, and empowerment. Funding will allow us to broaden our impact, fairly compensate our facilitators, and provide inclusive, culturally responsive education to those most at risk of being left behind.

Our outreach is already making a difference, but with the addition of this grant, Los Angeles County will be home to communities that are informed, prepared, and no longer vulnerable to insurance-related exploitation after disaster strikes. Residents who once struggled to understand their coverage will know how to read policies, identify gaps, and take action before it’s too late. Insurance literacy is already spreading through word of mouth, workshops, and trusted community spaces. This grant would amplify this momentum, creating a broader ripple effect of confidence and protection. By empowering residents to ask the right questions and demand fair treatment, we’re shifting the balance of power from corporations to communities. A more informed public means faster recovery, fewer losses, and a stronger, more resilient LA County.