RESULTS Weekly Update May 28, 2024

Quote of the Week

“Let’s urge Congress to support SNAP in the Farm Bill and tell our senators to stop stalling and pass the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act now.”

– RESULTS Tennessee volunteer Anne Child in a May 22 letter to the editor in the Oak Ridger

Table of Contents

• Join Saturday’s National Webinar with Salaam Bhatti from FRAC
• Let’s finish the Community of Change campaign with powerful actions
• Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty
• Announcements
• Upcoming Events
• Grassroots Resources

Join Saturday’s National Webinar with Salaam Bhatti from FRAC

Join us on Saturday for an exciting monthly National Webinar. We are pleased to welcome Salaam Bhatti, SNAP Director at the Food Research and Action Center, who will talk with us about reauthorization of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP. We’ll also update you on our current U.S. and global poverty priorities, officially kick off our “Getting Your Community on the Record” campaign, and meet the candidates for election to represent our volunteers on the RESULTS Board.

TAKE ACTION: Register for the May National Webinar at www.tinyurl.com/RESULTS2024. The webinar is this Saturday, June 1 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Once registered, registrants will receive their confirmation and Zoom link a day or two before the webinar (be sure to check your junk mail if you don’t see it). You can find the slides and recordings from all our webinars on our National Webinars page. If you have questions, please contact RESULTS staff.

Let’s finish the Community of Change campaign with powerful actions

This is the final week of our Community of Change lobbying campaign. This campaign has been focused on bringing our issues directly in front of lawmakers. You have discussed expanding the Child Tax Credit, funding global appropriations, investing in Gavi, protecting SNAP, and other issues with congressional offices in 2024. If you want to know how to build political will, that’s how.

But even after the campaign ends on May 31, our advocacy does not. When it comes to ending poverty, perseverance is paramount. Rarely do issues appear one day and get resolved the next. They take time and they take effort. Effort you have clearly demonstrated this year with 185 meetings with 136 different offices. If you do not get all your lobby meetings done by May 31, keep trying. It’s never too late to meet with lawmakers about the things you care about.

TAKE ACTION: Congress is on recess all this week. Contact schedulers now to schedule a last-minute lobby meeting or to find a public event you can attend. Find lobby request and prep materials on our Community of Change campaign page. If you cannot attend a meeting this week, ask for one at their next available convenience. Here is what you can discuss in lobby meetings this week:

Ask for co-sponsorship for Gavi resolutions. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has supported countries to vaccinate more than 1 billion children since 2000 and has helped save 17.3 million young lives. Now Gavi is gearing up 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, it needs strong U.S. leadership at the Gavi replenishment conference later this year. Help inspire this leadership by asking your members of Congress to co-sponsor the new Gavi resolutions. The Senate version, S. Res. 684 is available for co-sponsorships and the House version will come out soon. If you don’t have a lobby meeting this week, use our online action to urge your members of Congress to co-sponsor the Gavi resolutions now.

Get more READ co-sponsorships. H.R.681, the READ Reauthorization Act of 2023, allows the U.S. to continue the success of the READ Act by improving literacy and numeracy in basic education, demanding better monitoring and evaluation efforts, and improving the U.S.’s ability to achieve key global education goals. The bill passed out of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on May 16 and is now awaiting a full vote in the House (it passed the Senate last year). Continue to build support for the bill by asking your representative to co-sponsor H.R. 681 today (see the current list of cosponsors, column AH).

Tell members of Congress to protect SNAP. Last week, the House Agriculture Committee marked up its draft Farm Bill. The vote was 33-21 with four Democrats joining all Republicans in moving the bill to the House floor. The bill still includes a cut $30 billion from SNAP benefits over the next decade. However, with Senate opposition to the SNAP cuts and questions as to whether the House can pass its version, the House bill’s future is uncertain. The Farm Bill process is just beginning and you can help shape the outcome. Call or e-mail your House members urging them to protect and strengthen SNAP in the Farm Bill. For additional SNAP resources, see our Community of Change page.

Use media to call for a CTC vote. We are still waiting to see if and when the Senate will vote on H.R. 7024, the bipartisan tax bill that expands Child Tax Credit for 16 million children. To help push for a vote, please submit a CTC letter to the editor urging senators to demand a vote and pass the bill.

Finally, please complete your lobby reports ASAP. The information you share from your meetings is integral in strategizing next steps, working with allies, impressing donors, and celebrating your successes. If you have not yet reported a lobby meeting, please complete the RESULTS Lobby Report Form today.

Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty

Global poverty appropriations round-up. Congratulations and thank you! You called, sent emails, and met with members of Congress during our FY25 global poverty appropriations campaign this spring. And it paid off! Despite tight deadlines and a challenging political landscape, your advocacy led to strong outcomes. You gathered an incredible number of signers for our “Dear Colleague” letters. We even set a record high on signatures for the House Tuberculosis letter! You can find the final letters and signer counts on our blog.

Rent crisis. Read this fantastic and moving blog post on rent and housing by our very own Hunger Fellow John Hoang.

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. Elizabeth Brown and Kasapo Chibwe have provided statements and answered questions during our Candidates’ Forum on May 10. You will also hear from them again on this weekend’s RESULTS National Webinar. Cast your ballot at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GRD2024. Voting remains open through June 22.

Join the RESULTS summer of action; coaching continues. We are urging all RESULTS to get together in person for action 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. Groups will gather together, socialize, and write postcards (provided by RESULTS). 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 numerous community action coaching calls next week.. Let’s get together and make a difference!

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.

Join Dismantling Biases on Poverty & Classism webinar. Ending poverty is not possible without addressing oppression and centering the experiences of those who’ve experienced poverty. 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, 12-1:30 p.m. ET. Register here.

Join Restorative Justice and Global Conflict webinar. Global conflict is an area where oppression and poverty comingle disastrously. Too often, issues of violent conflict disproportionately harm women and children. In Gaza, catastrophic hunger affects 70 percent of the population. According to the World Food Program (WFP), worsening food insecurity now affects more than 25 million people in South Sudan and Chad. Advocacy in the context of violent conflict is challenging, and can engender feelings of indignation and hopelessness. We have invited special guest facilitators from the DC Peace Team to help us navigate this conversation through a restorative justice approach. Join us. The webinar is Monday, June 17, 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET. Register here.

2025 RESULTS Fellowship application opens in June. The RESULTS Fellowship has become one of the most powerful programs at RESULTS. Many current leaders in RESULTS started out as Fellows. Beginning June 10, we will be accepting applications for the 2025 Fellowship class. If you know someone who would make a great Fellow, please urge them to apply. Also, take a look at the testimonials of the power of the RESULTS Fellowship, an emerging leader initiative celebrating its 10th anniversary!

Upcoming Events

Congressional schedule: This week, the House and the Senate are on recess.

Find these and other events on our website Events Calendar.

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

Tuesday, June 4: Community Action Coaching, 1:00 p.m. ET. Register here. 

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 with RESULTS, 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.

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.