DCA Goes Back to School

Evans Adult School hosts Consumer Information Fair

Welcome sign County of Los Angeles Department of Consumer Affairs staff member Toni Scott assists information-seekers at the 16th Annual Evans Consumer Information Fair at Evans Community Adult School in Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES – How do I buy a first home? How do I sue in Small Claims court? How do I know when a lawyer is genuine?

All of these questions and more were answered as the County of Los Angeles Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) recently co-sponsored the 16th Annual Evans Consumer Information Fair at the Evans Community Adult School near Downtown.

DCA director Pastor Herrera, Jr. (left) and DCA’s Armando Nogal (right) join Evans principal Jean Batey in awarding certificates at the Evans Consumer Information Fair.

The two-day event drew over 30 government and private agencies, which shared free consumer education to Evans’ students and faculty members. The groups, including DCA, the California Department of Consumer Affairs and the office of Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (34th District), gave out valuable information through handouts, brochures and face-to-face expertise.

Consumer Education 101

“This is education,” Jean L. Batey, principal of Evans Community Adult School, said. “This is what it’s all about. It’s beyond the classroom – education beyond the walls.”

DCA staff members also visited classrooms, bringing consumer tips directly to Evans’ diverse student body.

DCA representatives Toni Scott, Maggie Becerra, Janet Godoy, Angela Joo and Goarine Zargaryan spoke to the students about various consumer-related topics.

“It’s nice to talk to the people that need it most,” Becerra said. “To see the looks on their faces is very gratifying.

DCA staff member Angela Joo instructs Evans students about how to sue in Small Claims court.

“We’re being proactive. We’re putting (the information) up front and empowering them in case they come up with these problems.”

Evans assistant principal Candace Lee liked the Fair’s interactive nature.

“Number one, we have speakers go directly to the classroom; the teachers request that. Number two, teachers often times develop lessons around the different vendors, develop questions and students can ask different vendors for the answers.

“We really like that interaction, not just taking the brochures and pamphlets and finding out about it (on their own).”

A Lesson in Diversity

Evans, which is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, is the nation’s largest stand-alone adult learning center. The school averages 4,000 students daily and has an annual enrollment of 20,000 students. Ninety (90) percent of the students are enrolled in the English-as-a-Second Language program.

“So many of our students don’t have this type of information,” Batey said. “The vast majority (of students), of course, are immigrants. And they come to the United States and they know ‘OK, school – I’ll find a school and I can do my basics. But if I have a problem, how do I solve it? Where do I go?’ And many of them don’t know and sometimes they’re too shy to ask.

“So we’ve had this event here for many years and it’s just invaluable.”

We Can Help You

The Department of Consumer Affairs provides consumer education through community events, a 24-hour telephone service, and the Internet at www.lacountydca.info.

Other agencies in attendance:

211 Los Angeles County
California DCA – Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education
California DCA – Bureau of Automotive Repair, California DCA – Complaint Mediation Program
California DCA – Consumer & Community Relations
California DCA – Contractors State License Board
California Department of Insurance
California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
Chinatown Service Center

Fairgoers

Students and faculty members at Evans Community Adult School get information from over 30 different agencies at the Evans Consumer Information Fair.

City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
City of Los Angeles Department of Aging
City of Los Angeles Public Works
Consumer Action
County of Los Angeles Agricultural Commissioner/Weights & Measures
County of Los Angeles Department of Community & Senior Services – Area Agency of Aging
County of Los Angeles Department of Social Services Interagency Relations
County of Los Angeles Department of Social Services Medi-cal Outreach District #6
County of Los Angeles Department of Social Services Toy Loan Program
County of Los Angeles Department of Social Services Volunteer Services
County of Los Angeles DHS – Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
Fair Housing Foundation
LAC/USC Medical Center – Community Health Plan
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
Los Angeles Center for Law & Justice
Los Angeles Housing Law Project
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
U.S. Department of Labor – ESBA
U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
U.S. Postal Inspection Service
U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission
U.S. Social Security Administration

Keven Chavez
Public Information Assistant