U.S. Poverty Weekly Update August 27, 2013


August 27, 2013

"I find it interesting that the senators would wish to promote charter schools when I look at our community and see so many of our issues are not school issues, but community issues, and perhaps the focus would be better spent addressing joblessness [and poverty]."

– RESULTS Organizer Myrdin Thompson quoted in an August 22 Huffington Post article

New and Urgent in This Week's Update (Two-Ten-Twenty Actions)

  • Got Two Minutes? Pick Up Phone and Make Most of Last Minute Face-to-Face Opportunities

  • Got Ten Minutes? Follow Up on Face-to-Face Meetings for August Recess or Fall (August Action)

  • Got Twenty Minutes? Lay Groundwork for Outreach This Fall and Plan for September 7 Conference Call

Latest from Washington, DC

  • Keep up the Great Work in the Media – Push Back against SNAP Cuts

  • RESULTS Vermont Meeting Moved to This Weekend; Connect with Upcoming Outreach Events

Quick News

Organizational Updates

  • Announcements

  • RESULTS Fundraising Update

  • RESULTS Activity Calendar

  • RESULTS Contact Information


Got Two Minutes? Pick Up Phone and Make Most of Last Minute Face-to-Face Opportunities

Have Labor Day plans? Your members of Congress might be at your local Labor Day parade or other public events this weekend, giving us a great opportunity to urge Congress to reject cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Make a quick call today!

TAKE ACTION: Take two minutes to call the schedulers for your members of Congress to find out details about upcoming town halls and public appearances. The August Action includes tips for a successful town hall appearance and sample questions about SNAP, tax and savings policy, and early childhood investments. You might find our U.S. Poverty Campaigns Summary page helpful to prepare, you can also find helpful information and talking points about SNAP and the current House proposal in our August 2013 Conference Call Slides. If you confirm that you’ll be attending a town hall, please contact Meredith Dodson ([email protected]) for help in preparing for the meeting. Get a chance to talk with your policymakers? Please fill out our Lobby Meeting Report Form.


Got Ten Minutes? Follow Up on Face-to-Face Meetings for August Recess or Fall (August Action)

Congratulations to all those who have met with their members of Congress already this month. We've got some serious fights ahead of us this fall on SNAP and the Farm Bill, sequestration, and perhaps tax policy, and these sit-down conversations with decision makers will help shape the debate. At this stage you might not get a meeting this month, but you'll increase the odds of a meeting during an upcoming recess before final decisions are made.

TAKE ACTION: Take ten minutes to call the schedulers for your members of Congress to start or follow up on your meeting requests. Check out the August Action and our August Recess Meeting Request letter to help you get things moving. For your meetings, please remember to download and copy our 2013 SNAP, Tax Policy, and Early Childhood Lobby Meeting Requests Sheets to give to members of Congress or their staff. If you confirm a lobby meeting, please contact Meredith Dodson ([email protected]) for help in preparing for the meeting. Get a chance to talk with your policymakers? Please fill out our Lobby Meeting Report Form.


Got Twenty Minutes? Lay Groundwork for Outreach This Fall and Plan for September 7 Conference Call

During these last dog days of summer, you can get a jump on our campaign work this fall mobilizing our networks to protect and strengthen key anti-poverty programs. Our September Action will focus on each one of us getting at least five others (those with direct expertise with these programs, friends, family, co-workers, etc.) to take action by directly communicating with Congress about the importance of SNAP and other services. Later this fall, we're planning another national outreach event similar to our national conference call with Barbara Ehrenreich last year. As you are socializing this weekend, use the opportunity to tell others about your RESULTS advocacy and how they can make their voices heard. Find yourself with some quiet moments? Start brainstorming a list of people you can talk to, email, or ask to take action on Facebook. Or, take time now to reconnect with community allies to make sure those with real expertise – people living in poverty – are heard in DC.

TAKE ACTION: Take twenty minutes to talk up your work with RESULTS or craft a list of people to contact. Remember that advocacy is confusing and daunting for many, so break it down by telling stories about specific instances you've felt like you've made a difference – and it might make sense to jot down those stories to keep them fresh.

And, make plans now for our September National Conference Call – Saturday, September 7, at 12:30 ET (note: this is a week earlier than normal because of Yom Kippur). We'll discuss specific strategies your group can use to engage others, and upcoming days of action as we hit the home stretch of our legislative work.


Keep up the Great Work in the Media – Push Back against SNAP Cuts

Join your fellow RESULTS volunteers who have had success in their local media – submit a letter to the editor to your local paper urging Congress to reject cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Media helps us keep the pressure on lawmakers to do the right thing when they return to Washington, while also educating the public about SNAP and debunking the myths and falsehoods about the program. Use your voice to make a difference today!

TAKE ACTION: Submit a media piece to a local paper, using use our updated online LTE alert.


RESULTS Vermont Meeting Moved to This Weekend; Connect with Upcoming Outreach Events

Last weekend, five new activists signed up to be a part of a new RESULTS U.S. Poverty group in the Burlington, VT area. They start their training this Thursday and it is not too late to get involved! Contact Jenny Martin ([email protected]) for details.

We are also working on starting new groups in other areas around the country. If you know people in the following places, invite them to participate:

  • West Los Angeles on August 28. RESULTS Informational Meeting, 6:30 pm PT. TRiP Santa Monica, 2101 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica, CA. For details, contact Holly Mosher at [email protected] and see the RESULTS West LA Facebook page.

  • Baltimore, MD on September 4. RESULTS Informational Call, 10:30am ET. (218) 486-1611, passcode 2883622#. This is a planning call to get a new group started in the Baltimore area. Contact Jos Linn ([email protected]) for details.

  • Kansas City, MO on September 18. RESULTS Outreach Meeting, 6:15 – 8:45 pm CT. Kansas City Public Library – Waldo Branch, 201 E. 75th St, KCMO. For details, contact Jos Linn ([email protected]) and see our RESULTS KC Facebook Event page.

  • Albuquerque, NM on September 18. RESULTS Outreach Meeting. Contact Myrdin Thompson ([email protected]) for details.

  • Lexington, KY on October 5. RESULTS Outreach Meeting. Contact Myrdin Thompson ([email protected]) for details.

We are also working with people in Boston, MA (Jenny); Waterloo, IA (Jos), Louisville, KY (Myrdin), Cincinnati, OH (Myrdin), and Oklahoma (Myrdin). If you know people in these or other areas, please contact us. Help us grow RESULTS!


Quick News

Review our Updated Minimum Wage Page. Several weeks ago, RESULTS highlighted the recent efforts to increase the federal minimum wage, including introduction of Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013 by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Rep. George Miller (D-CA-11) earlier this year (S.460 / H.R. 1010). To help stay updated on this issue, RESULTS has updated it Minimum Wage and Living Wage page. Take a look to learn more about this important issue.


RESULTS Fundraising Update

Feeling in the mood to celebrate? Keep an eye out for a mailing from the DC office that will contain about 20 RESULTS Celebration donation envelopes to help your group and friends let someone special know you've honored them with a donation to RESULTS.

Thank you to Myrdin Thompson who raised $408 for her birthday this month! Check out her celebration page as an example of how you can do this for your own birthday, anniversary, graduation, or any other celebration. Contact Cindy Levin at [email protected] if you'd like help setting up an online campaign.


RESULTS Activity Calendar

(See a complete calendar on the RESULTS website)

Upcoming Congressional Recesses: House and Senate: August 5 – September 6. Request face-to-face meetings.

Friday, August 30 and Monday, September 2: All RESULTS offices closed for Labor Day holiday.

Saturday, September 7: RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Conference Call, 12:30 pm ET. Listen to previous conference calls online. Note: the September call has been moved to the first Saturday of the month because of Yom Kippur.

Wednesday, September 11: RESULTS Introductory Call, 9:00 pm ET. Register for this or another Intro Call at www.tinyurl.com/RESULTSMeetandGreet/.

Tuesday, September 17: RESULTS U.S. Poverty Free Agents Call, 9:00 pm ET. (218) 486-1611, passcode RESULTS (7378587, plus #).

Wednesday, September 18: RESULTS Kansas City Outreach Meeting, 7:00 pm CT. For more details, contact Jos Linn at (515) 288-3622, [email protected]. See more on Facebook.


RESULTS Contact Information

Main Office: (p) (202) 783-7100, (f) (202) 466-1397, 1101 15th St NW, Suite 1200, Washington, DC 20005. If mailing a donation to our DC office, please address the envelope to the attention of Cynthia Stancil. Please note that RESULTS Director of U.S. Poverty Campaigns Meredith Dodson is on maternity leave until Labor Day 2013.

RESULTS U.S. Poverty Legislative and Grassroots Support Staff:

The RESULTS U.S. Poverty Update is sent out every Tuesday via email to RESULTS volunteers and allies all over the country. The purpose of these updates is to inform and activate RESULTS activists to take action on our U.S. poverty campaigns.

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