RESULTS Weekly Update October 21, 2025
Quote of the Week
“It’s time to prioritize people over politics.”
– RESULTS San Diego Advocate Michele Lagoy, in an October 12 letter to the editor in the San Diego Union-Tribune
(Is this newsletter too long; didn’t read (TL;DR) the whole thing? Scroll to the bottom for the most important points or the “TL;DR”)
Insights on U.S. poverty policy this Thursday
This Thursday, October 23, at 8 p.m. ET, we’ll be holding a policy forum that you and your fellow advocates won’t want to miss. This policy forum is designed to provide insight into RESULTS’ U.S. poverty campaign priorities for the remainder of 2025. The information will be contextualized within the effects of the government shutdown and will offer a bit of a look into 2026. Learn how we are preparing for final FY26 budget negotiations, with a focus on ensuring that housing and nutrition programs are protected and funded. Please join us for this vital information! Register here.
Tap into “No Kings” energy for your next letter to the editor
While the government remains shut down (with no end in sight), millions of Americans took to the streets on Saturday for “No Kings” protests. More than 8 million peacefully gathered in towns and cities across the globe to stand up for democracy. Whether you participated in a protest or watched from afar, it was an inspiring sight to behold. And it was proof that, no matter your political, economic, or social background, people care about the future of our country. And they want to do something about it.
Use this “No Kings” energy as a hook for new media. Write a letter to the editor telling people how to use their excitement from the protests to demand action on health care or nutrition or foreign aid or housing. RESULTS volunteers are experts at civic engagement. Use media to show others a path to what they can do next.
Remember that our “600 Voices” media campaign goal is 600 pieces by December 31. That number will be a high watermark not reached since the pandemic began. As of Friday, you had successfully achieved 430 media hits. Letters and op-eds from Washington State to Florida are coming in (even a radio spot in Alaska!). At the pace you’ve been getting published, we’re bound for success. We can’t coast. Government must work for the people, and who better than you to carry that message?
Use the EPIC Laser Talk format to organize your letter. If you’re stuck on how to arrange your letter to the editor, think of the pneumonic EPIC:
- Engage: Start your piece with a strong statistic or personal story that grabs the reader.
- State the Problem: What is the issue you want to resolve?
- Inform on the solutions: What is the policy move you want Congress to act on?
- Call to Action: What are you asking your legislator to do? Be specific and frame your request as a “yes or no” question.
Submit your next letter today! See our Action Center for templates you can customize and send letters. Also, see our new “600 Voices” resource on the Action and Allies page, and take advantage of our online media tools. Also, if you need a hook for your next letter, use our hooks tracker for additional writing ideas! Finally, bring a draft of your next letter to our Media Office Hour tomorrow, October 22, 2-3 p.m. ET. Brainstorm hooks, get editing help, ask questions about how to submit, or ask any other media-related question you have. No need to register for this drop-in hour. Join via Zoom at https://results.zoom.us/j/93668005494 or dial (312) 626-6799, meeting ID 936 6800 5494.
Items of Interest
Invite “No Kings” friends to a New Advocate Orientation. The “No Kings” protests were a huge success this past weekend. It demonstrates that there is a powerful hunger for engagement right now. If you know people who protested and are looking for the next thing to do, invite them to our next week’s New Advocate Orientation. It is a great way for people to learn about RESULTS and how they can channel their energy and enthusiasm into real policy change.
Register for the November National Webinar. Our guest speakers will be Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-OR) and Sachiko Osawa, Community of Practice Coordinator for Leading Change Network. Rep. Dexter will offer her expert perspective on our campaign work, and Ms. Osawa will offer us best practices to help our organizing both take root and have wings. You will not want to miss this incredible combination of guests. Register today for this webinar to be held Saturday, November 1 at 1 p.m. ET!
Nominate someone for a RESULTS Grassroots Award. Nominations are now being accepted for 2025 RESULTS Grassroots Awards. The Bob Dickerson Leadership Award is awarded to a grassroots volunteer who shows extraordinary leadership and commitment to the mission of RESULTS. The Cameron Duncan Media Award is given to a journalist, editor, or grassroots volunteer for outstanding work on issues related to poverty in the media. You may nominate as many people as you like. However, please make a separate submission for each person or award. The deadline for nominations is Wednesday, November 5. Nominees and recipients will be announced in December. Contact Joanna DiStefano for more information.
TL;DR (too long; didn’t read): Register for this Thursday’s U.S. Poverty Policy Forum, write and submit your next letter to the editor as part of our “600 Voices” media campaign, invite someone to the next New Advocate Orientation, register for a unique two-guest National Webinar to be held on November 1, and nominate a fellow advocate for a 2025 RESULTS Grassroots Award before the deadline arrives.
Quick Links: Action Center, Events Calendar, National Webinar recordings