RESULTS Weekly Update June 4, 2024

Quote of the Week

“If we help families survive rocky times rather than fall deeper into poverty, all of us benefit as a society.”

– RESULTS Expert on Poverty Sharvonne Walker in a May 29 op-ed in Other Words

Table of Contents

• Make June the month for Gavi
• Tell Congress we want a Farm Bill, not a “Harm” Bill
• Join the RESULTS summer of action
• Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty
• Announcements
• Upcoming Events
• Grassroots Resources

Make June the month for Gavi

As noted on Saturday’s National Webinar, June is a pivotal month for the future of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Gavi is a public-private partnership that works in marginalized areas of the world to promote access to vaccines for preventable disease. Since it began two decades ago, it has helped vaccinate 1 billion children, saving over 17 million lives. Now with progress being made into new vaccines against malaria and tuberculosis, Gavi’s work is more important now than ever.

But like all ambitious projects, its success is contingent on funding. This is where we can help. n June 20, world leaders will meet in France to discuss the next Gavi replenishment (the full replenishment conference will happen in the fall). Gavi has a plan to deepen efforts to reach all children who have not received any doses of vaccines and support the sustainable growth of vaccine manufacturing in Africa. To do this, the world needs to put money behind it. For the U.S., that means a  $1.4 billion pledge which covers the next four years. Strong support from Congress will bolster U.S. leadership on this issue and push other countries to follow suit. But we need to act now.

TAKE ACTION: Build support for Gavi by asking your members of Congress to co-sponsor new Senate and House resolutions supporting the work of Gavi. We want to get as many co-sponsors before June 20 as possible. The Senate version, S. Res. 684 is taking co-sponsors and the House version is expected to come out this week (we will let you know when it does). Use our online action to urge your members of Congress to co-sponsor the Gavi resolutions now.

Also, help us get 100 Gavi LTEs by the end of June. Educate your communities about its amazing success and urge Congress and the Administration to support the $1.4 billion pledge. Submit your letter today!

Tell Congress we want a Farm Bill, not a “Harm” Bill

Thank you to Salaam Bhatti of FRAC for sharing his informative and fun presentation on the June 2024 National Webinar. Salaam did an excellent job of explaining the current status of the Farm Bill in Congress and the specific threats to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP is America’s largest nutrition assistance program, helping 40 million Americans put food on the table each month.

But SNAP faces a $30 billion cut in benefits over the next decade in the House Farm Bill proposal. Salaam showed us that cut comes from making SNAP benefit amounts “cost neutral.” USDA uses the “Thrifty Food Plan” (TFP) to determine foods needed to meet the minimum nutritional requirements for a weekly diet. The TFP is the used as a guide to determine what SNAP benefit amounts should be. But, under the House plan, even if actual food costs and nutrition science show that SNAP benefits should increase, USDA would be required to ignore these factors and keep SNAP benefits artificially low (nothing greater than annual cost-of-living adjustments). This is where the $30 billion comes from – it is the gap between what people would need to maintain a healthy diet and what SNAP benefits would be. Remember, the TFP is the bare minimum needed for a nutritious diet, i.e., the cheapest plan. If Congress undercuts that, they are ensuring that people won’t have enough to eat. As Salaam put it, we want a Farm Bill, not a “Harm” Bill.

TAKE ACTION: The House passed its Farm Bill proposal out of committee several weeks ago but a floor vote has not been scheduled. The Senate has yet to release its bill or hold a hearing although Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow has stated she opposes cuts to SNAP. This gives us time to push back at these attacks on SNAP. Call or e-mail your House members urging them to protect and strengthen SNAP in the Farm Bill. For additional SNAP resources, including a Laser Talk and additional requests for offices who already support SNAP, please see our Community of Change page.

Join the RESULTS summer of action

There’s nothing like the excitement of coming together for a powerful purpose. Because of that, we are urging all RESULTS advocates to get together in person for action-taking meetings starting in June. These meetings are designed to harness the power of being together to tell Congress to prioritize child health and nutrition this year. This is your time to be creative. How would you like to come together, have fun, connect, and take action? Groups have been provided postcards by RESULTS so that everyone can write to Congress. Make this a summer of action and make a difference!

TAKE ACTION: Check out our how-to guide, creative ideas, invitation toolkit, and more to help you organize a fun, impactful community action meeting this summer! We will also be holding coaching calls tomorrow and Thursday when you can brainstorm ideas for your local meeting with staff.

Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty

Use media to push for a CTC vote. Congress is back this week and still no news on if and when the Senate will vote on H.R. 7024, the bipartisan tax bill that expands Child Tax Credit for 16 million children. At this point, grassroots advocacy is the only thing that will get this across the finish line. Please submit more CTC letters to the editor urging senators to demand a vote and pass the bill.

Announcements

Vote in the Grassroots Board election! The polls are open and your participation matters. We are fortunate to have direct representation on the RESULTS/RESULTS Educational Fund Boards and we have two great candidates for the open seat. Meet the candidates. Get to know candidates Elizabeth Brown and Kasapo Chibwe, who have provided statements, appeared at our candidate forum, and also spoke on the June National Webinar. Cast your ballot at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GRD2024. Voting remains open through June 22.

Triple your impact with a gift to RESULTS this spring! RESULTS is urgently working to raise $350,000. Why? We want to amplify our work on behalf of the estimated 350 million children worldwide who face undernutrition. Thanks to a generous challenge match, your donation to RESULTS will be TRIPLED until we reach our goal! This includes all donations to Friends & Family fundraisers. If you or your group has been thinking about doing a fundraiser, this is a great time to do it! If you have questions or need support, contact Director of Development Melissa Strobel. Make your special tax-deductible gift to RESULTS today.

Thank you for a successful lobbying campaign! Thank you to all our RESULTS advocates who requested meetings with members of Congress during our Community of Change lobbying campaign. To date, we have 195 meetings reported with 146 different offices. While that is short of our goal, it is still an impressive feat. As Colin Smith pointed out on the June webinar, your advocacy is the reason we see so much more activity on issues RESULTS works on (e.g., signatures on sign-on letters). If you still have offices you have not met with, keep going. The end of the campaign does not mean the end of our advocacy. Request your meetings and if you need help get ready, please contact RESULTS staff ASAP. Also, we know the totals above are not final because there are lobby reports we have not received. If you have not yet reported a lobby meeting, please complete the RESULTS Lobby Report Form. Thank you!

Join Dismantling Biases on Poverty & Classism webinar. In this workshop, RESULTS Experts on Poverty will unpack and facilitate discussions around stereotypes and biases surrounding those who live in poverty, including issues related to physical appearance and immigration. The knowledge and tools provided in this session will help you build transformational relationships and create inclusive, welcoming environments in your groups with trauma-informed advocacy in mind. The webinar is Friday, June 7, 12:00-1:30 p.m. ET. Space is limited so register today.

Learn how to use Motivational Interviewing in your advocacy. Are you curious about learning new ways to enhance your advocacy skills? Do you feel like there are too many barriers in place for you to have a successful lobby meeting this year? Join us to learn about Motivational Interviewing (MI), a set of helpful communication skills that foster collaboration and motivate change. MI techniques can help provide you with insight into how to be engaging, collaborative, respectful, and evocative. The webinar is Wednesday, June 12 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Register for MI workshop today.

Join Restorative Justice and Global Conflict webinar. Global conflict is an area where oppression and poverty comingle disastrously. Advocacy in the context of violent conflict is challenging, and can engender feelings of indignation and hopelessness. The DC Peace Team will help us navigate this conversation through a restorative justice approach. The webinar is Monday, June 17, 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET. Space is limited and the deadline to register is June 10. Learn more and register today.

2025 RESULTS Fellowship application is now open. The RESULTS Fellowship has become one of the most powerful programs at RESULTS. Many current leaders in RESULTS started out as Fellows. We are now accepting applications for the 2025 Fellowship class. If you know someone who would make a great Fellow, please urge them to apply today.

Adjusted date for the July National Webinar. Because of the Independence Day holiday, the July National Webinar will be held on Saturday, July 13. Join us that day at 1:00 p.m. ET for a terrific gathering! Register today.

Upcoming Events

Congressional schedule: This week, the House and the Senate are in session.

Find these and other events on our website Events Calendar.

Wednesday, June 5: Community Action Coaching, 10:30 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. ET. Register here. 

Thursday, June 6: Community Action Coaching, 1:00 p.m. ET. Register here. 

Thursday, June 6: Global Allies Program (Returned Peace Corps Volunteers), 8:30 p.m. ET. Learn more.

Friday, June 7: Disrupting Biases on Poverty and Classism facilitated by RESULTS Experts on Poverty, 12:00 p.m. ET. Register today for this 90-minute webinar.

Wednesday, June 12: Motivational Interviewing 101, 8:00 p.m. ET. Register today.

Thursday, June 13: Outreach and Event Planning Office Hour, 2:00 p.m. ET. Drop in at https://results.zoom.us/j/94004748060, meeting ID 940 0474 8060.

Monday, June 17: Restorative Justice and Global Conflict facilitated by DC Peace Team, 8:00 p.m. ET. Register for this powerful two-hour session.

Tuesday, June 18: U.S. Poverty Free Agents, 1:00 p.m. ET and 8:00 p.m. ET. Contact Jos Linn for more information.

Tuesday, June 18: Together Women Rise advocacy chapter webinar, 8:30 p.m. ET. Learn more about this opportunity.

Wednesday, June 19: Juneteenth. RESULTS office closed.

Thursday, June 20: Media Office Hour, 2:00 p.m. ET. Join via Zoom at https://results.zoom.us/j/93668005494 or call 312-626-6799 (Meeting ID: 936 6800 5494). No registration required.

Monday, June 24: Global Poverty Free Agents, 7:00 p.m. ET. Contact Lisa Marchal for more information.

Wednesday, June 26: Action Network Manager Calls, 12:30 p.m. ET and 8:00 p.m. ET. No registration required. Join via https://results.zoom.us/j/95416781155 or dial (312) 626-6799, meeting ID 954 1678 1155.

Saturday, July 13: National Webinar, 1:00 p.m. ET. Register for the webinar.

Typically, registration ends one hour prior to the start of all webinars and trainings.

Grassroots Resources

• EOPs: Learn about the RESULTS Experts on Poverty.
• Actions and volunteer resources: Visit our Volunteers Hub, including our anti-oppression resources. To join the RESULTS listserv for more RESULTS conversation, send an email to [email protected].
• Please report your actions. Remember to please report your recent advocacy successes in lobby meetings, media, and outreach activities. Also, use our form to add to/edit your info and to sign up for updates and alerts.
• Share your story. If you have an inspiring story about advocacy, please tell us about it. Also, if you want to celebrate the actions of a new volunteer, sharing about the experience.
• Questions for the Board? If you have a question, comment, or suggestion for the RESULTS/REF Board, please e-mail [email protected]. View Board minutes and Annual Reports.
• Staff and jobs: RESULTS Staff directory and job postings.