U.S. Poverty Weekly Update January 2, 2019
Quote of the Week
“We need to stay vigilant, because even though Congress passed a farm bill that protects SNAP, the Trump administration is threatening to propose harmful new rules that could cut food assistance for many. It just never ends…
I will always fight for SNAP, because it helped my family survive.”
– RESULTS volunteer and Expert on Poverty Clara Moore in a CNN Opinion Piece
Got Two Minutes? Plan for Next Week’s National Webinar
Get your new year started right by joining us for the RESULTS January 2019 U.S. Poverty National Webinar next Tuesday, January 8 at 8:00 pm ET. We will learn more about affordable housing – a new issue for RESULTS – from Allison Bell of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and discuss opportunities to move forward with the new Congress.
TAKE ACTION: Take two minutes to confirm plans for the RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Webinar next Tuesday, January 8 at 8:00 pm ET. If your group is meeting together for the webinar, let them know when and where you will. If you are not meeting together, remind people to join on their own at: https://results.zoom.us/j/873308801 (they can also dial in by phone at either (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, Meeting ID: 873 308 801). The slides for the webinar will be available next Tuesday on our National Webinars page. If you have questions or need help, please contact Jos Linn.
Got Ten Minutes? Get a Jump on the New Year by Requesting Meetings with Congress
Kudos to those – like RESULTS Grassroots Board Member Maxine Thomas and Indiana staff member Lisa Marchal, pictured here with their new senator – who were able to connect with their new members of Congress post-election. The new Congress will be sworn in tomorrow, and this is a great time to request meetings with them during upcoming recesses (January 19–27 and February 16–24) to discuss your priorities. These meetings are also great for new advocates – nothing motivates people for this work like meeting with their elected officials.
TAKE ACTION: Take ten minutes to reach out to new members of Congress to set up face-to-face meetings as soon as possible. Our updated meeting request (online or Word doc) is available for you to personalize and use. Once you get a meeting, please contact Meredith Dodson for coaching on what to discuss. And don’t forget to invite your new advocates to go with you!
Got Twenty Minutes? Confirm a Time for Reconnecting with Your RESULTS Group
You can shape the congressional agenda for next year by identifying goals and leadership opportunities for your local advocacy efforts – and for many, that means getting together with your local RESULTS group for a group planning meeting. This process of sharing leadership and planning is one of the main reasons RESULTS volunteers played a key role in passing bipartisan legislation to protect SNAP. As we all re-set in the new year and watch the opening of the 116th Congress, take a bit of time to get our rosters, plans, and dreams set for the upcoming year — schedule to complete it before the end of this month.
TAKE ACTION: Take twenty minutes to coordinate with your local RESULTS group to set a time to reconnect and discuss leadership roles this month. We’ll have planning materials online next week to support goal-setting and planning – stay tuned.
Quick News
New Proposal to Take Food Assistance Away via Work Requirements. Before the holidays, the USDA proposed that states could waive work requirements for some SNAP recipients only in areas where unemployment is above 7 percent. Approximately 2.8 million able-bodied recipients without children or an ailing person in their care were not working in 2016, according to the USDA’s latest numbers. Roughly 755,000 live in areas that stand to lose the waivers. Once the proposal is open for public comments, we will include details in a future U.S. Poverty Update. Meanwhile, if you want to speak out against continued attempts to take food assistance away from people at risk of hunger, you can tailor our SNAP LTE template. (And a reminder: SNAP benefits are not at risk during the partial government shutdown, though most USDA staff are not working).
New Website! Visit the RESULTS website and check out our new look. Explore and then let us know what you think.
Upcoming Events
Go to the RESULTS Events Calendar to see a full list of RESULTS events. Also, find a list of the RESULTS U.S. Poverty staff with contact information on the RESULTS website.
U.S. Poverty Team members planned time off: Jos Linn: Thursday, December 20-Sunday, January 6.
RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Webinar, Tuesday, January 8 at 8:00 pm ET. Join at: https://results.zoom.us/j/873308801 or dial (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, Meeting ID: 873 308 801. Find recordings and slides from previous webinars on the National Webinars page.
RESULTS Action Network Community of Practice webinar, Wednesday, January 9 at 8:00pm ET. To join, log in: https://results.zoom.us/j/427674133 or dial in: 669-900-6833, Meeting ID: 427 674 133. You can also join our Facebook and e-mail groups.
U.S. Poverty Free Agents Calls, Tuesday, January 15 at 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm ET. Join at: https://results.zoom.us/j/324294681 or dial by phone at (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, Meeting ID: 324 294 681.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, Monday, January 21. All RESULTS offices closed.
January Congressional Recess, Monday, January 21-Friday, January 25. Submit your meeting requests today.
February Congressional Recess, Monday, February 18-Friday, February 22. Submit your meeting requests today.
RESULTS International Conference, July 13-16, 2019. Learn more at www.resultsconference.org and share your ideas for speakers and sessions by completing our IC suggestion form.
Other Resources
Learn more about the RESULTS Experts on Poverty.
If you need materials (banners, pens, stickers, or business cards) for your local RESULTS work, fill out our Materials Order Form and we’ll send them to you.
If you have a question, comment, or suggestion for the RESULTS/REF Board, please e-mail Steven McGee at [email protected]. View Board minutes and Annual Reports on our website.
Please fill out the RESULTS Lobby Report Form after any lobby meeting to let us know what happened. In meetings that cover both U.S. and global poverty issues, please fill it out twice.