RESULTS Weekly Update March 15, 2022

Quote of the Week

“Pushing children and families back into poverty is unconscionable. Our children succeed when they are well-nourished, housed and educated.’’

– RESULTS Massachusetts volunteer Leslye Heilig in a March 11 letter to the editor in the Berkshire Eagle

Table of Contents

• Get published: The U.S. must support the Global Fund
• As families struggle, what is Congress waiting for?
• Join March Policy Forums this Thursday
• Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty
• Announcements
• Upcoming Events
• Grassroots Resources

Get published: The U.S. must support the Global Fund

It is imperative that the U.S. play a leadership role as it anticipates hosting the seventh replenishment for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria later this year. The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected our ability to combat these three diseases. According to the Global Fund’s own investment case, titled “Fight for What Counts,” the first year of COVID-19 pandemic was the first time since the Global Fund began twenty years ago that progress on dealing with these three diseases went into notable decline in countries where the Global Fund is at work.

But we know that the very health systems that the Global Fund helps strengthen are also means for pandemic preparedness more broadly in a way that puts human rights, equity, and local community perspective at the center.

The Global Fund is requesting donor pledges of at least $18 billion at the replenishment conference later this year. With at least $18 billion in donor pledges over the next three years, the Global Fund estimates it can save an additional 20 million lives and put us on track to ending the three pandemics by 2030. And as mentioned, additional investments in equitable global health systems will also prepare us for future pandemics.

TAKE ACTION: World TB Day is right around the corner, March 24. Your timing for getting published on support of the Global Fund is perfect. Take time today to write a letter to the editor using our online action. You can also use our new March Action Sheet to empower your fellow advocates to write. Action Sheets make great centerpieces for a local RESULTS meeting agenda!

As families struggle, what is Congress waiting for?

Had Congress extended the 2021 Child Tax Credit (CTC) provisions, CTC monthly payments would be arriving in bank accounts today. Instead, this is the third month in a row when families lifted up by last year’s CTC payments see nothing. That’s another month of getting behind in rent. Another month of working three jobs. Another month of cutting pills to make them last longer. Another month of stress.

Lawmakers in DC need a reality check. When millionaires are deciding what they think is best for people experiencing poverty, their viewpoints can get skewed. How can they judge the choices of people and circumstances of which few of them have any connection or experience? For example, some lawmakers claim the CTC payments will be misused. Despite the evidence that families used their CTC payments for “luxuries” like food, rent, child care, and medicine, this theme is rooted in the profoundly flawed and insulting premise that poverty is solely the result of bad choices. That it’s a character flaw. And because they think poverty is a choice, lawmakers ignore the systems and institutions that perpetuate poverty.

Instead of worrying about what people might spend their CTC on, members of Congress should worry about 3.7 million children falling into poverty. They should worry about higher prices for food, gas, and rent pushing more families into financial distress. And they should worry about the moral cost of letting people suffer.

For Congress, the time to act is not in a month or after the election or when the political winds improve. The time to act is now. Make sure they know it.

TAKE ACTION: Use your media savvy to get letters to the editor published this week telling your members of Congress that the time for debate is over. People are struggling now and Congress has the power to help. Tell them to get to work on a new economic package now that invests in children, workers, and families via the CTC, EITC, and rental assistance. The March 2022 U.S. Poverty Action has background and resources to help you, including draft letters to the editor on the CTC and rental assistance (you can also use our updated tax and housing media alerts to submit letters online). If you need help with drafting or submitting your letters, please contact RESULTS staff for assistance.

Join March Policy Forums this Thursday

Our Monthly Policy Forums are this Thursday, March 17 and we have another great lineup for you. On our U.S. Policy Forum, RESULTS Senior Policy Associate Michael Santos will provide broader context of the ongoing housing crisis and new ways to talk to your members of Congress about the urgent need to address it. The U.S. Forum begins at 8:00 pm ET and you can register for it here.

On the Global Policy Forum, Dr. Madhu Pai will speak about the toll COVID-19 has taken on TB and how combatting TB is a social justice issue that we must address with ambition. We’ll connect Dr. Pai’s remarks to our work on TB and Global Fund appropriations and the Global Fund replenishment. In advance of Dr. Pai’s remarks, you invited to read this article and this article as context. The Global Forum begins at 9:00 pm ET and you can register for it here.

See you Thursday!

Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty

Media hooks of the week. To help you in your media advocacy, here are suggested media “hooks” this week to use in letters to the editor:

• U.S. Poverty: Last week, we learned that inflation rose to 7.9 percent in February. Politicians are quick to assign blame but few are actively working to address it. But the tools to help are right in front of them. What are they waiting for? Restart the CTC payments. Expand rental assistance.
• Global Poverty: World TB Day is March 24, which is a great reminder that the U.S. must show strong leadership ahead of the replenishment for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria happening in the U.S. later this year.

Gearing up for FY23 appropriations. We’re assessing what happened with FY22 appropriations now that the dust is settling from lots of activity at the end of last week. That being said, we’re not resting. Work on our FY23 appropriations requests will soon start in earnest. In advance, take a look at our preliminary information, including our request memos, for this year, and anticipate more specific coaching and support for your appropriations advocacy in the coming days.

Join back-to-back webinars on claiming the CTC and EITC and the future of BBB. Millions of workers and families are eligible for the expanded CTC and EITC this year, but they have to file their 2021 taxes to get them. Tomorrow, March 16 at 1:00 pm ET, experts and faith leaders are hosting the “Love Your Neighbors: Help Families Receive Full Tax Benefits” webinar to walk people through the process of claiming their CTC and EITC this year. Register today and urge others you know others who might be eligible for the credits to register too. Right after that, join our friends at the Coalition on Human Needs and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities to learn what’s next for the CTC, EITC, and other policies on their “What’s next for Build Back Better?” webinar. That webinar is also tomorrow, March 16 at 2:00 pm ET. Register today.

New report shows COVID programs kept people housed. The CTC, rental assistance, and other programs lifted people out of poverty and slowed down the rise of eviction rates in many communities. A new report from the Eviction Lab explains how these federal assistance programs during the pandemic kept people stably housed and out of poverty.

RESULTS Staff speaks at Aspen Institute event. Last week, RESULTS Expansion and Advocacy Manager Yolanda Gordon spoke at the Aspen Institute’s “Conversations on Food Justice, Session 10: Race, Poverty, and the Barriers to Accessing Social Benefit Programs” event. Yolanda discussed how racism has shaped economic and social policy in the United States, how systemic racism and stereotyping inform the way we think about the social safety net in the U.S., and how to challenge assumptions about who uses these vital programs and why. You can watch a recording of the event here.

Announcements

Register for next Diversity and Inclusion 101 training. As part of our work to dismantle systems of oppression, we have a goal of having all RESULTS volunteers attend our “Diversity and Inclusion 101” training in 2022. The next open session is Wednesday, March 24 at 8:30 pm ET, with additional offerings over the next few months. Seating is limited for each session so register for upcoming session today. If you’re unable to attend a session you registered for, please cancel your registration to allow others to participate (see instructions in your confirmation e-mail).

Grassroots Anti-Oppression Working Group rescheduled for March 29. Join us for the next open forum of the RESULTS Grassroots Anti-Oppression (AO) Working Group taking place on Tuesday, March 29 at 8:30 pm ET. In this open forum, volunteers and staff work together to advance RESULTS’ anti-oppression values, create, and share opportunities for ongoing learning. Have questions or want to get involved? Register here.

Register for the April National Webinar. Please be sure to join us on Saturday, April 2 at 1:00 pm ET for the RESULTS National Webinar. We are excited to welcome two outstanding guest speakers. First, Phil Tegeler, President and Executive Director of Poverty & Race Research Action Council (PRRAC) will join us. April is National Fair Housing Month so we will cover fair housing principles as we continue to lobby members of Congress on addressing the affordable housing and homelessness crises. Then , Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria will join us to contextualize the Global Fund’s work in this time of pandemic, framing the opportunity we have when the replenishment happens later this year. Because of Mr. Sands’ schedule, he will appear at 1:30 pm ET. Don’t miss this event. Register today!

Learn the basics of hosting a hybrid meeting. As groups start to meet in person in the coming months, hybrid meetings (a combination of online and in-person participation) are likely to become more common. Learn tips for hosting such these types of meetings from the “running hybrid meetings” training we held last fall.

Upcoming Events

Congressional schedule. The House and Senate are in session this week.

Unless otherwise noted, registration ends one hour prior to the start of all webinars and trainings.

Tuesday, March 15: U.S. Poverty Free Agents, 1:00 pm and 9:00 pm ET (new time). If you are interested in joining, contact Jos Linn for more information.

Tuesday, March 15: Together Women Rise Webinar, 8:30 pm ET. Learn more on how to get involved with the Rise advocacy chapter. For questions, please contact Karyne Bury.

Wednesday, March 16: Action Network Webinars, 12:30 pm ET and 8:00 pm ET. Register for the afternoon session or evening session. (In 2022, Action Network webinars will take place every other month.)

Thursday, March 17: U.S. Poverty Monthly Policy Forum, 8:00 pm ET. Speaker: Michael Santos of RESULTS will talk about housing. Register here.

Thursday, March 17: Global Poverty Monthly Policy Forum, 9:00 pm ET. Speaker: Dr Madhu Pai will talk about tuberculosis. Register here.

Wednesday, March 23: Getting “Unstuck” with Your Members of Congress using Motivational Interviewing Techniques, 9:00 pm ET. Register here.

Thursday, March 24: Diversity and Inclusion 10 – Implicit Bias, Microaggressions and Understanding of Systemic Racism and Oppression, 8:30 pm ET. Register here.

Monday, March 28: Global Poverty Free Agents, 7:00 pm ET. If you are interested in joining, contact Lisa Marchal for more information.

Tuesday, March 29: Grassroots Anti-Oppression Working Group (rescheduled), 8:30 pm ET. Open forum. Register here.

Saturday, April 2: National Webinar with Phil Tegeler and Peter Sands, 1:00 pm ET. Register here.

Saturday, June 4-Sunday, June 5. RESULTS International Conference. Keynote speaker: Jelani Cobb of The New Yorker. More information soon on this virtual event.

Grassroots Resources

Learn about the RESULTS Experts on Poverty.

Find actions and volunteer resources on our Volunteers Hub, including our anti-oppression resources. To join the RESULTS listserv for more RESULTS conversation, send an email to [email protected].

Remember to please report your recent advocacy successes in lobby meetings, media, and outreach activities. Also, use our Volunteer Information Form to add or edit volunteer info and to sign up for updates and alerts.

If you have a question, comment, or suggestion for the RESULTS/REF Board, please e-mail Lindsay Saunders at [email protected]. View Board minutes and Annual Reports.

RESULTS Staff directory and job postings.