Released: August 11, 2020

Consumer Action launches COVID-19 Educational Project

Free resource guide, webinars and multilingual fact sheets help consumers cope with pandemic fallout

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Aug. 11, 2020—Consumer Action, a national consumer education and advocacy nonprofit, has launched a new project aimed at providing consumers—particularly low- and moderate-income workers, limited-English speakers and other hard-hit communities—with essential information and valuable resources that can help them cope with the financial fallout of the pandemic.

As part of its COVID-19 Educational Project, Consumer Action is publishing short guides (fact sheets) and producing webinars answering many of the critical questions raised by the pandemic—for example, where can undocumented immigrants (who are ineligible for stimulus payments) turn for financial assistance, what pandemic-related protections does the Fair Housing Act provide for tenants, how can you recognize and avoid pandemic-related scams, and what healthcare and estate planning steps should be taken now.

The initial year-long project will result in a series of multilingual fact sheets—each available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean—and 14 webinars. There also will be ongoing updates to the core resource guide—“Resources for consumers impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak”—to reflect new or modified assistance programs, laws, agency policies and business practices intended to help consumers weather the crisis.

The resource guide, topic-specific fact sheets and webinars all can be accessed, at no charge, through the project webpage, at www.consumer-action.org/covid-19.

Major funding for the COVID-19 Educational Project was provided by Wells Fargo Foundation. Additional support came from AT&T, Bank of America, Capital One, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Square.

While there’s no immediate remedy to the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, struggling households can get a leg up—but only if they know what’s out there.

"At the onset of the pandemic, Consumer Action’s staff mobilized quickly to gather and disseminate information that could help financially vulnerable consumers deal with wage loss, housing insecurity, and the other challenges created by the crisis,” said Consumer Action’s executive director, Ken McEldowney. “Since that initial response, we’ve been busy building a comprehensive library of materials that will empower consumers in a variety of situations to keep a roof over their heads, stay financially afloat through the crisis, avoid scams and predatory financial products, and understand and exercise their rights.”

Consumers and community educators are encouraged to visit the project webpage frequently to read the latest updates to the general resource guide, download newly published fact sheets, and view recent webinars.

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About Consumer Action

Consumer Action has been a champion of underrepresented consumers nationwide since 1971. A nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, Consumer Action focuses on consumer education that empowers low- and moderate-income and limited-English-speaking consumers to financially prosper. It also advocates for consumers in the media and before lawmakers to advance consumer rights and promote industry-wide change.

By providing consumer education materials in multiple languages, a free national hotline, a comprehensive website (www.consumer-action.org) and annual surveys of financial and consumer services, Consumer Action helps consumers assert their rights in the marketplace and make financially savvy choices. More than 6,000 community and grassroots organizations benefit annually from its extensive outreach programs, training materials and support.