U.S. Poverty Weekly Update May 10, 2016
U.S. Poverty Weekly Update May 10, 2016
“As a RESULTS volunteer, I urge Rep. David Young and Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst to stand up for childless workers and Iowans struggling with food insecurity by supporting the expansion of EITC while continuing to support SNAP.”
– RESULTS Des Moines volunteers Meredith McLean in an April 29 letter to the editor in the Des Moines Register
- Got Two Minutes? Prepare for the U.S. Poverty National Webinar this Saturday at 12:30 pm ET (and bring calendars)
- Got Ten Minutes? Submit Your Own Letter to the Editor about SNAP (May Action)
- Got Twenty Minutes? Magnify Your Impact with an Op-ed about SNAP (May Action)
- Register for the RESULTS International Conference!
- Quick News
- Upcoming Events
Quick Media Action: Urge Congress to Protect SNAP
| Take Action! |
Got Two Minutes? Prepare for the U.S. Poverty National Webinar this Saturday at 12:30 pm ET (and bring calendars)
Join us for the RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Webinar this Saturday, May 14 at 12:30 pm ET. We’re continuing our media work this month in anticipation of the House Taskforce on Poverty, Opportunity, and Upward Mobility releasing its recommendations in the coming months. On the webinar, we’ll talk about the Taskforce, what we might expect to her from them, and why it’s important to be getting the word out now about protecting anti-poverty programs such as SNAP. We’ll also hear from volunteers about their latest successes and meet our new Grassroots Board nominees. Finally, expect a special announcement about the RESULTS International Conference. Please plan to join us.
TAKE ACTION: Take two minutes to remind your local RESULTS group about the RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Conference call this Saturday, May 14 at 12:30 pm ET. Coordinate with your group where you will meet for the call. Also, please bring your calendars on Saturday to figure out times your group can join a lobby prep call with Meredith Dodson to help you get ready for the RESULTS International Conference next month (bring your calendar even if you’re not coming to the Conference). The webinar is done through Fuze meeting. To join online, login at http://fuze.me/32255914; if you cannot join online, dial in by phone at (201) 479-4595, Meeting ID: 32255914#. Plan to log in or call in no later than 12:25 pm ET. If you have questions about Fuze or how to log in, please contact Jos Linn at [email protected]. We will have the May 2016 National Webinar slides available later this week in the Take Action box on the RESULTS Homepage.
Got Ten Minutes? Submit Your Own Letter to the Editor about SNAP (May Action)
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) is the first line of defense against hunger in America. In February 2016 (latest data), 44.3 million people relied on SNAP to help put food on the table. SNAP is also a prime example of government efficiency and effectiveness with 99 percent of benefits going to eligible households. In addition, nearly 60 percent of SNAP households with children and a working-age, non-disabled adult have at least one person working. Yet, there is a perception that SNAP is riddled with fraud and those who receive it refuse to work. This falsehoods and misconceptions about SNAP are then used by policymakers to justify cuts and radical changes to the program (and others).
You can help set the record straight about SNAP. The May 2016 RESULTS U.S. Poverty Action urges you to use the media to educate lawmakers and your community about the importance of SNAP to hungry families. Getting these media pieces published will not only shore up support for SNAP, but also send a message to House Poverty Taskforce members that if they recommend radical changes to the program that result in arbitrary benefit or enrollment cuts, those proposals will be met with strong opposition. Our goal is 30 media pieces in May (we have three and counting so far) – help us meet our goal by sending in your letter today!
TAKE ACTION: Take ten minutes to draft your own personalized letter to the editor (or op-ed) about protecting SNAP. Let Congress know that Americans support programs that reduce hunger and poverty. Use the May Action for talking points for your letters. Also, be sure to personalize your media piece with new local SNAP data (CBPP) and new local hunger data from Map the Meal Gap (Feeding America). If you need help with drafting or editing your letter, please contact Jos Linn at [email protected].
Got Twenty Minutes? Magnify Your Impact with an Op-ed about SNAP (May Action)
As noted above, the May Action has information to help you write letters to the editor about protecting SNAP. We love letters to the editor and we hope all of you will submit at least one this month to help us reach our goal of 30 published media pieces this month. The more pieces you get published, the louder the message to members of Congress to stop attacking SNAP.
Another way to send a loud message is to trying getting an op-ed published about SNAP. Op-eds are more prominent and more likely to be read, especially by policy-makers. For an excellent example of an op-ed that was co-wrote by several RESULTS volunteers, see the piece published two weeks ago from the RESULTS Houston group in the Houston Chronicle. Noteworthy about that piece, not only did it do an excellent job of calling out members of Congress about SNAP and the EITC, its publication spawned additional media – one of the authors, Dave Fleming, was asked to appear on a local radio show to talk about it. That’s the power of op-eds. Wield yours today.
TAKE ACTION: Take twenty minutes to draft your own op-ed about protecting SNAP. To help get you started, use the sample op-ed in the May Action as a template you can personalize with local data and stories about the importance of SNAP in combatting hunger in your community. Draw on the talents, experience, and support of your fellow group members to draft several op-eds and submit them or collaborate on one written by various group members (like in Houston). Please don’t hesitate to contact Jos Linn at [email protected] for op-ed ideas, feedback, and proofreading. Good luck!
Register for the RESULTS International Conference!
We’re six and half weeks away from the 2016 RESULTS International Conference. If you have not registered yet, why not? This is the biggest event of the year for RESULTS and we want you there. What makes the Conference worth attending is you – the volunteers of RESULTS. Your energy, your curiosity, your passion are what make the Conference so special. You’ll make new, amazing friends; learn new, paradigm-shifting things; and bring us miles closer to a world free of poverty. So please join us! Go to www.resultsconference.org and register for the RESULTS International Conference. You’ll be glad you did.
Quick News
Welcome RESULTS Milwaukee. Several weeks ago, RESULTS Grassroots Manager Jos Linn traveled to Milwaukee, WI to start a new U.S. Poverty group there. With the tremendous help of RESULTS REAL Change Fellow Kali Daugherty and others in the Milwaukee area, we successfully started a group on April 19. Wisconsin is a key strategic target for RESULTS as these new advocates will have the ear of Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI-4), an outspoken champion on our issues, and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI-1. The group has started training and taking action and they welcome anyone in the Milwaukee area wanting to get involved. Their next meeting is Wednesday, May 18 at 6:30 pm CT at the East Branch Library, 2320 N. Cramer St. in Milwaukee. If you have questions or need additional information, contact Jos Linn at [email protected]. Welcome, Milwaukee!
Join RESULTS in Baton Rouge. U.S. Poverty Grassroots Organizer Kristy Martino will facilitate a half day advocacy workshop in Baton Rouge, LA on Tuesday, May 24, hosted by LABEST and Baton Rouge Community College. If you or someone you know lives in Baton Rouge, please plan to come. See event details and RSVP on Eventbrite.
Sign House Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill introduced. Last month, House Republicans introduced their Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill (H.R. 5003). As feared, this legislation would reduce the number of children who have access to school meals and lower nutrition standards. For more information on the bill, see our RESULTS Blog post and a detailed summary of the bill from our friends at the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). The House Education and Workforce Committee has delayed their markup of the legislation, but it could still come up in the coming weeks. RESULTS has joined other organizations to sign on to a broad letter expressing opposition to the bill. The letter is open to national, state, and local groups. We strongly urge your local RESULTS groups sign on as well.
Join the Road to Rio Fundraising Challenge. Our new Road to Rio Fundraising Challenge is a joint RESULTS U.S. and U.K collaboration in the lead up to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The money raised will help support the advocacy work we are all doing. Get started by setting up your personal friends and family page here: https://friendraising.donorpro.com/campaigns/322. If you need help setting up a page, please contact Jen DeFranco at [email protected].
Join Intro Call Tomorrow Night. If you or someone you know wants to learn more about how to be an agent of change with RESULTS, join our next bi-monthly RESULTS Introductory Call tomorrow night, May 11 at 9:00 pm ET. Register for the call on the RESULTS website.
Upcoming Events
Go to the RESULTS Events Calendar to see a full list of RESULTS events. Also, find a list of the RESULTS U.S. Poverty staff with contact information on the RESULTS website.
Congressional Recesses: House and Senate: May 30 – June 3. Request face-to-face meetings. After your meeting, please tell us how it went by filling out the RESULTS Lobby Report Form: www.tinyurl.com/RESLRF.
RESULTS Introductory Call, May 11, at 9:00 pm ET. If you want to learn more about RESULTS, register for an upcoming Intro Call on the RESULTS website.
RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Webinar, May 14 at 12:30 pm ET. Join the meeting online at http://fuze.me/32255914; or by phone at (201) 479-4595, Meeting ID: 32255914#. Listen to previous webinars on our National Webinars page.
RESULTS U.S. Poverty Free Agents Calls, May 17 at 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm ET. Join online at http://fuze.me/32256018 or by phone at: (201) 479-4595, Meeting ID: 32256018#.
2016 RESULTS International Conference, June 25-28, 2016 in Washington, DC. Register at www.resultsconference.org!
If you have a question, comment or suggestion for the RESULTS/RESULTS Educational Fund Board, please e-mail them to RESULTS Grassroots Board Member Lydia Pendley at [email protected]. You can download RESULTS’ most recent Annual Report at: https://results.org/about/annual_report/.
Happy Birthday to RESULTS Director of U.S. Poverty Campaigns Meredith Dodson! Today is her birthday.