RESULTS Weekly Update October 1, 2024

Quote of the Week

“The new farm bill should not make hunger in America worse but should offer not only hope but actual benefits in the grocery store to all families.”

– RESULTS Phoenix volunteer Barb Rodman in a September 22 letter to the editor in The Mesa Tribune

Table of Contents

• Join Saturday’s National Webinar with Grecia Lima
• Double/50 Media Campaign – the VP debate!
• Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty
• Announcements
• Upcoming Events
• Grassroots Resources

RESULTS mourns the loss of life caused by Hurricane Helene and hopes that, if you have been caught in the storm’s devastation, you are safe. For those who want to help, please visit https://www.redcross.org/donate/dr/hurricane-helene.html/.

Join Saturday’s National Webinar with Grecia Lima

For the October 2024 RESULTS National Webinar, we are thrilled to welcome Grecia Lima, National Political Director at Community Change Action. She is a top political organizer with a decade of experience working with immigrant communities and other communities of color around issue-specific campaigns at every level of government. Using her years of organizing experience, Grecia will share her insights and expertise on staying politically engaged during a challenging election season.

We’ll also update you on the latest from DC on our issues and progress on our election engagement work, including how you can make poverty an election issue in the media. Finally, learn how you can help fund the work of RESULTS by joining our fall Friends and Family Fundraising Campaign. Please join us!

TAKE ACTION: Register for the RESULTS National Webinar this Saturday, October 5 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.

Double/50 Media Campaign – the VP debate!

We continue our Double/50 media campaign to help make poverty an election issue. Tonight, Vice Presidential candidates Tim Walz and J.D. Vance will face off in their only debate before the election. The debate is an excellent hook to letters to the editor (LTEs) and op-eds, as the media will talk about it extensively over the next few days. Here are a few issues that may come up during the debate that you can link to the issues we are working on:

• Health care: global vaccines and nutrition
• Food prices: the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Tax policy: the CTC and a Renter Tax Credit (RTC)
• Foreign aid: global nutrition, vaccines, tuberculosis
• Housing: RTC
• Conflict overseas: global nutrition, vaccines, preventable disease

There will be others, so be sure to listen for them. Also, not mentioning an issue in the debate is also a hook for media (“I am disappointed neither candidate spoke about…”).  The key is to keep talking about it over and over again. If a newspaper gets one letter linking something from the debate to Gavi or CTC or nutrition, they may or may not print it. But if they get several letters about it over the next few weeks, they are more likely to print at least one. Just as in talking directly with lawmakers, in media advocacy you get more NOs than YESes. Don’t let that discourage you. Persistence usually pays off.

Lastly, if you don’t want to use the VP debate as a hook, please check out our new Double/50 Campaign Hooks spreadsheet. Visit it any time to see the most recent media hooks on our issues.

TAKE ACTION: Help us hit the Double/50 – double our media for the year (from 300 to 600 pieces) with at least one media piece in all 50 states, by the end of the year. You’re up to 35 pieces in 11 states (see our Media Map and 2024 media list). Let’s keep it up and ramp up the pressure on lawmakers and candidates to talk about poverty in the election. You can find LTE templates on SNAP, CTC, and nutrition in the RESULTS Action Center (we also have templates on vaccines, housing, and TB). If you have questions, please contact RESULTS staff and when you do get published, please let us know in our media report form. Good luck and thank you!

Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty

Sign your local RESULTS group to CTC letter. Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee have formed “tax groups” that are seeking comments on tax priorities for 2025. Help build support for ending child poverty by telling the committee to expand the Child Tax Credit (CTC) as part of any 2025 tax legislation. RESULTS is signed on as a national group. Sign your local RESULTS group on to this coalition letter today!

Incredible news! The End Tuberculosis Now Act passes in Senate! Read our recent press release about S.288’s passage as we next urge action in the House. House leadership must bring the bill to a vote!

Gavi resolutions need a boost. We don’t want to run out of time! We are still continuing to gather co-sponsors for resolutions supporting Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. This is in advance of the full pledging conference in 2025. This year, the Biden Administration pledged at least $1.58 billion for Gavi over five years. We need more co-sponsors to the House and Senate Gavi resolutions to help us see this through. Please ask your legislators to co-sponsor the Gavi resolutions (S.Res.684 and H.Res.1286). Use our online action today to make your Gavi resolution requests.

Announcements

Join the RESULTS Legacy Society. As we prepare to celebrate the 45th anniversary of RESULTS in 2025, the Development Team has set a bold goal to invest in the future of RESULTS. It is our birthday wish that we can welcome 45 new members to our Legacy Society before the end of next year – 45 people who are passionate about our work and our mission and wish to include RESULTS Educational Fund in their own legacy plans in whatever way is meaningful to them! Anyone of any age and income can include RESULTS in their will or as a beneficiary of a retirement plan. Bonus: all new and existing members of RESULTS’ Legacy Society will receive a limited edition notebook. For more information or to get your notebook, contact Director of Development Melissa Strobel.

Make sure you are registered to vote. Our democracy thrives on participation. If we don’t vote, we cede our civic power to others. Voter registration deadlines are fast approaching. Go to www.vote.org to confirm you are registered to vote in your state. If not, register today!

Upcoming Events

Congressional schedule: Both the House and the Senate are on recess until November 12.

Find these and other events on our website Events Calendar.

Saturday, October 5: National Webinar, 1:00 p.m. ET. Guest: Grecia Lima from Community Change Action. Register for the webinar.

Wednesday, October 9: Motivational Interviewing training, session 2, 8:00 p.m. ET. Register now for this terrific series.

Thursday, October 10: Outreach and Event Office Hour, 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET. Drop in at https://results.zoom.us/j/94004748060 or call (312) 626-6799, meeting ID 940 0474 8060.

Thursday, October 10: Global Allies (Returned Peace Corps Volunteers) Advocacy Partnership Webinar, 8:30 p.m. ET. Learn more.

Monday, October 14: Indigenous Peoples’ Day. RESULTS Office closed.

Tuesday, October 15: U.S. Poverty Free Agents, 1:00 p.m. ET and 8:00 p.m. ET. Contact Jos Linn for more information.

Tuesday, October 15: Together Women Rise Advocacy Chapter, 8:30 p.m. ET. Read more.

Wednesday, October 16: Action Network Manager Calls, 12:30 p.m. ET and 8:00 p.m. ET. Join at https://results.zoom.us/j/95416781155 or call (312) 626-6799, meeting ID 954 1678 1155. No registration required.

Wednesday, October 16: Media Office Hour, 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET. Drop in at https://results.zoom.us/j/93668005494 or call (312) 626-6799, meeting ID 936 6800 5494. No registration is required.

Thursday, October 17: New Advocate Orientation, 1:00 p.m. ET. Registration open!

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.