Older Adult Fire Relief: Connections & Support

Wildfire relief

San Gabriel Valley

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

Older adults, especially those who are LGBTQ+, African American, or Spanish-speaking, are falling through the cracks in the Eaton Fire disaster response. They consist of 14% of the population of Altadena and are one of the most vulnerable in a disaster. The initial findings of the UCLA Williams Institute highlighted the need for recovery efforts in response to the LA fires to be inclusive and responsive to the needs of LGBTQ+ adults. LGBTQ+ elders are less likely to have support systems and many do not access support from faith-based organizations.
Some African American elders are finding support through faith communities, but more support from trusted sources is still needed. The Eaton Fire Collaborative has identified gaps in recovery information and services in Spanish. About 30% of Altadenans speak a language other than English at home and 20% are Hispanic. For all individuals over 55, support is needed in navigating technology and reducing incidents of scams and fraud.

Through partnerships with Altadena Pride, LGBT Center of San Gabriel Valley, and LA LGBT Center, LGBTQ+ elders will improve their mental health and support each other through 10 trauma-informed coffee chats and engaging presentations. Program offerings will be in conjunction with the Hummingbird Project, Foothill Family, AlterCareLine, and other partnerships.
Direct support for Spanish-speaking adults 55+ will be in conjunction with The Pasadena/Altadena Coalition of Transformative Leaders (PACTL) and The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA). Older adults will receive free tech help in English and Spanish at 6 IT Cafes, and connect to resources through 3 presentations in Spanish, as well as bilingual resource fairs, personalized peer-to-peer referrals, and free resources on AgingSGV.org.
African American elders attending the Senior Summit series planned in conjunction with Community Women Vital Voices will receive gift cards and resource connections.
All older adults will receive gift cards along with personalized IT assistance to help them find and utilize transportation, other recovery assistance, and additional connections. They will engage with trusted resources through 8 educational presentations, fraud prevention, and disaster preparedness trainings. Each group of older adults has specific needs as they recover, but all of them need communities of support along with direct assistance which this program will provide.

In the short term, this initiative will help older adults build their own support networks. As it is designed for and by older adults, it is immediately responsive to their needs, adaptive to the changing environment, and provides meaningful opportunities for involvement. These older adults will have a lasting impact on Los Angeles as they contribute to this community through volunteering and rebuilding homes and neighborhoods. In the long term, the people of Los Angeles will be transformed through improved mental health, resilience, and support systems. When older adults have support, resources, and connections, they will stay in the communities that they love, rebuild their neighborhoods, and contribute to the wellbeing of fellow Angelenos. This initiative will increase the overall health and wellbeing of the aging population, reduce ageism, and lower rates of fraud and abuse, thereby forging a stronger path for all Angelenos to have improved quality of life in the years to come.