RESULTS Campaigns Weekly Update April 14, 2020
Quote of the Week
“It’s interesting how a disaster does what activists are always trying to do — point out the contradictions. How does the economy function? Who does it leave behind? In the aftermath of something like this, the answers are so clear.”
– writer Rebecca Solnit in an interview with Vox
RESULTS Coronavirus Resources
Our coronavirus pandemic page is a great resource for you with information on conducting virtual meetings, advocating online, generating media, what’s happening on coronavirus and poverty in Congress, and more. Visit the page regularly to get the latest news on our work during the outbreak.
Table of Contents
- Global Poverty Campaigns Update
- U.S. Poverty Campaigns Update
- RESULTS Announcements
- Upcoming Events
- Grassroots Resources
Global Poverty Campaigns Update
QUICK ACTION Ask the Senate to invest in global health and education
Got Ten Minutes (or a bit more)? Send in appropriations requests
Less than a week left! Two Senate “Dear Colleague” letters are open for signatures, but they close this week. These letters support robust funding for basic education and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Check our online tracker for updates on signers. Then submit your requests! Plus, a reminder to you that all Senate members must have their appropriations funding requests in to the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee of Appropriations by April 24. That means we must speak to senators now if we want to make an impact on their requests. You can still use our comprehensive FY21 appropriations page to track letter deadlines and details, grab memos/backgrounders on our requests, and more.
TAKE ACTION: Ask your senator to sign onto one or both appropriations letters – the basic education letter and/or the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria letter – right away. And use our March action sheet to ask your senators to support our global health and education appropriations requests. We still have time to make an impact.
Got Fifteen Minutes? Get published on supporting strong healthcare systems
We are living through a challenging time, and we must sound the call – marginalized communities can’t bear the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic. Have you gotten published lately? This is the ideal time to write about strengthening healthcare systems. You may feel that your voice can’t make an impact, but that’s not true – it’s voices like yours that make all the difference.
TAKE ACTION: Use our online alert to write a letter to the editor today. Read more on our blog about how to get started and how to write well in this critical moment. Strong, resilient health systems around the world become even more important – and even more endangered – in a crisis. We must lift up this issue to our communities and leadership. (When you get published, please report your success at www.tinyurl.com/RESULTSMedia.)
QUICK NEWS ON GLOBAL POVERTY
Letter to the editor training. Want to hone your writing skills? Join an LTE training on Thursday, April 16 at 8:30 pm ET. Join at https://results.zoom.us/j/390106571 or dial by phone at (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, meeting ID 390 106 571.
COVID-19 pandemic underscores importance of strong global health systems. As Congress develops a “Phase 4” legislative package during the pandemic, we are urging the prioritization of marginalized communities:
- Supporting low-income countries and communities to respond to COVID-19, building on the progress we’ve made in global health.
- Ensuring other health programs that address diseases of poverty are not undermined by the COVID-19 response.
- Addressing the non-health impacts of the pandemic, particularly access to quality education and other areas that disproportionately affect the poor.
Scroll to our April 7, 5 pm ET blogpost to read more. To take the message to legislators via virtual meetings and the media, utilize our April action sheet.
U.S. Poverty Campaigns Update
QUICK ACTION Generate media on needed housing and hunger resources
Got Five Minutes? Low-income renters need your help
We have now entered the third week of April and millions of low-income renters are still not able to pay the rent. A new study shows that nearly one-third of all U.S. renters did not pay rent this month. More alarming is that 1.5 million families could be pushed into homelessness by the COVID-19 economic shock. To avoid this disastrous outcome, RESULTS and our housing allies are pushing Congress for $100 billion in emergency rental assistance and a national moratorium on evictions in the next COVID-19 relief bill.
Congress is not expected to return to Washington until early May. That gives you three weeks to meet with members of Congress to talk about the worsening housing crisis caused by the pandemic (as well as increased investments in SNAP). Congress is not going to do this on their own. It will take a strong push from constituents for them to put housing at the top of their priorities list. Help families keep their homes by scheduling virtual meetings with your members of Congress now.
TAKE ACTION: Take five minutes to submit requests for virtual lobby meetings in April. The April 2020 U.S. Poverty Action has tips to help you. Also, please visit our Lobbying page for sample meeting requests, our updated housing and SNAP leave behinds, and more. If you want tips for planning a virtual lobby meeting, listen to our recent training webinar for tips and tools. Once you get a meeting, please contact RESULTS staff to help you get ready.
Got Fifteen Minutes? Use media to educate on COVID-19 and poverty
Millions of renters are unable to pay the rent from no fault of their own. Without action from Congress, things will only get worse. By generating media on housing while members of Congress are home, you can change the conversation and help make housing and hunger the priorities they need to be in the next COVID-19 relief bill.
TAKE ACTION: Take fifteen minutes to submit your letter to the editor today urging Congress to prioritize housing and hunger in the next COVID-19 bill. The April 2020 U.S. Poverty Action has a sample letter to the editor (LTE) to get you started, or you can use our online LTE action. When you get published, please let us know at www.tinyurl.com/RESULTSMedia.
If you are new to writing letters to the editor or want to brush up on your media skills, join our Letter to the Editor media training this Thursday, April 16 at 8:30pm ET or next Wednesday, April 22 at 1:00 pm ET. Join at https://results.zoom.us/j/390106571 or dial by phone at (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, meeting ID 390 106 571.
QUICK NEWS ON U.S. POVERTY
SNAP letter sent to Congress. Working with fellow members of the National Anti-Hunger Organizations, RESULTS, 53 of our local RESULTS chapters, and more than 750 organizations sent a letter to Congressional leaders and the Administration last week outlining shared priorities for strengthening SNAP (formerly Food Stamps) in response to COVID-19, including a 15 percent increase in SNAP benefits. With child hunger soaring, it is imperative Congress take action to help families keep food on the table. In addition, 140 Representatives have sent a letter urging House and Senate leaders to incorporate a boost on SNAP benefits in upcoming COVID-19 bills. We’ve added the organization sign-on letter to the resources on our Lobbying page for you use as a SNAP leave behind in lobby meetings this month.
New IRS help with COVID-19 stimulus payments. The Internal Revenue Service has launched a new online tool to help workers who did not file a 2018 or 2019 federal income tax return receive their Economic Impact Payment. Please share this with others you know.
Sign your RESULTS group onto millionaire’s surtax letter. Tax fairness groups are urging local organizations to sign onto a letter in support of a 10 percent surtax on millionaires. The surtax, which would impact the top 0.2 percent of taxpayers, would raise an estimated $635 billion in revenue for vital services over the next decade. Sign your local RESULTS group onto the letter today. The deadline is April 30.
RESULTS Announcements
Join letter to the editor trainings this week or next. RESULTS is hosting a Letter to the Editor training webinar this month to help volunteers working to generate media on our U.S. and global poverty priorities. Join to learn the basics of writing letters and getting them published. The trainings are this Thursday, April 16 at 8:30 pm ET and next Wednesday, April 22 at 1:00 pm ET. Join at https://results.zoom.us/j/390106571 or dial by phone at (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, meeting ID 390 106 571.
Last days for Bob Dickerson Award nominations. Nominate a fellow advocate for this year’s Bob Dickerson Grassroots Leadership Award (learn more about Bob here). The deadline for nominations is tomorrow, April 15.
RESULTS Grassroots Board Member elections. Ever thought of serving on the RESULTS board? Two Grassroots Board Member positions will be open this year. Please submit your nominee(s) by May 2 to Jesse Marsden at [email protected]. Questions? Contact Willie Dickerson at [email protected].
RESULTS quarterly meeting with Grassroots Board Members. On Thursday, May 14 at 9:00 pm ET, come share your thoughts, concerns, and ideas about RESULTS with your RESULTS Grassroots Board Members. Join at https://results.zoom.us./j/427521404. Or dial (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, meeting ID 427521404.
RESULTS Fellowship. The RESULTS Organizing and Advocacy Fellowship (formerly known as REAL Change) is a hands-on advocacy training program for people 20–30 years old. During the year-long program, fellows learn how to work with the media, their communities, and policymakers to create change. Learn more and apply today. Applications are open until September 30. The new class will start in December.
RESULTS United Webinar recording. We had a fantastic conversation with Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times during our RESULTS United Webinar on April 4. Go to our website for the recording and slides.
Upcoming Events
Congressional recesses. Congress is on recess for the month of April. Submit your remote meeting requests today.
Tuesday, April 14: Book Discussion: The Righteous Mind, 9:00 pm ET. Join via Zoom online or dial (669) 900-6833 US or (646) 876-9923, meeting ID 655 036 085, password: 641539.
Thursday, April 16: Letter to the Editor Training Webinar, 8:30 pm ET. Want to hone your writing skills? Join this LTE training at https://results.zoom.us/j/390106571 or dial by phone at (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, meeting ID 390 106 571.
Monday, April 20: Global Free Agents Webinars, 1:00 pm ET and 8:00 pm ET. Join a great conversation via https://results.zoom.us/j/464361707 or, by phone, dial (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID 464 361 707.
Tuesday, April 21: U.S. Poverty Free Agents Webinars, 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm ET. Join at: https://results.zoom.us/j/324294681 or dial by phone at (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, meeting ID 324 294 681.
Wednesday, April 22: Letter to the Editor Training Webinar, 1:00 pm ET. Want to hone your writing skills? Join this LTE training at https://results.zoom.us/j/390106571 or dial by phone at (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, meeting ID 390 106 571.
Monday, April 27: Combatting Oppression in a Pandemic, 9:00 pm ET. To join, log in at: https://results.zoom.us/j/807783478 or dial (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID 807 783 478.
Wednesday, April 29: New Advocate Orientation, 8:30 pm ET. Sign up online.
Saturday, May 2: RESULTS United Webinar, 1:00 pm ET. Join at https://results.zoom.us/j/994444828. You can also join by phone at (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID 994 444 828.
Thursday, May 14: RESULTS Quarterly Meeting with Grassroots Board Members, 9 pm ET. Come share your thoughts and ideas with your RESULTS Grassroots Board Members. Join at https://results.zoom.us./j/427521404. Or dial (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, meeting ID 427521404.
June 20-21: RESULTS Virtual International Conference. Read more here.
Grassroots Resources
Learn about the RESULTS Experts on Poverty.
Do you have a new person in your RESULTS group or info to update? Use our Volunteer Information Form to add them.
Find actions and volunteer resources on our Current Volunteers page.
Please let us know about your recent grassroots successes for lobby meetings, media, and outreach.
If you have a question, comment, or suggestion for the RESULTS/REF Board, please e-mail Steven McGee at [email protected]. View Board minutes and Annual Reports.
RESULTS Staff directory.