U.S. Poverty Weekly Update January 22, 2019
Quote of the Week
“As a retired federal worker who lived through too many ‘shutdowns,’ I was never happy about the government shutting down. I had bills to pay and creditors who weren’t interested in any excuses about why I was late paying my bills. And as a public servant, I had a job to do.”
– RESULTS Seattle volunteer Zelda Foxall in a December 26 letter to the editor in the Seattle Times
Got Two Minutes? Set the Agenda by Telling Congress to End the Shutdown and Get to Work on Poverty
As the partial government shutdown continues, it is causing immense hardship to the hundreds of thousands of workers who have furloughed or are working without pay. In addition, more than 700 Project Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) contracts, responsible for housing nearly 70,000 low-income families with children, seniors, and people with disabilities, have expired (see NLIHC’s interactive map). Thousands more face the prospect of losing critical housing and food assistance if the shutdown continues into or past February.
TAKE ACTION: Take two minutes to personalize and send an e-mail message to Congress urging them to end the partial government shutdown and get to work to end poverty.
Got Ten Minutes? Set the Agenda with Face-to-Face Meetings
Congress is not on recess this week because of the government shutdown. That means constituents like you are denied the opportunity to talk to them. But the shutdown won’t last forever, and you can be ready when it ends. Congress is scheduled to be on recess the week of February 18 and once the shutdown ends, many of them may head home on the weekends to do events. Get started on making the Set the Agenda campaign a big success by submitting your meeting requests now. Don’t wait until their scheduled are filled; contact them now to schedule a time to meet as soon as possible.
Also, start thinking now about who you want to go with you. Of course, your group members who are able will be there, but what about new people? One of the best ways to get a new person hooked on advocacy is for them to attend a lobby meeting. Many people don’t know what they are like (or that they can even do them) and come away feeling inspired and energized. After you submit your meeting request, think of new people you’ve encountered in the last year (or beyond) who you would like to invite to attend a meeting. Reach out to them now, tell them you are working on getting meetings, and ask if they would they like to attend. Help more people in your community experience the power of advocacy.
TAKE ACTION: Take ten minutes to the Set the Agenda by requesting face-to-face meetings with your members of Congress the next time they are home (next recess is February 18-22). Use our updated meeting request (online or Word doc) to request your meeting now. If you cannot get a meeting soon, meet with local staff now and ask for a face-to-face for the first available date. Also, contact new people you’d like to engage and invite them to attend your next meeting. Invite them to play whatever role they can (observer, planning, speaking role?). The more they feel included, the more likely they will come back.
Once you get a meeting scheduled, please contact Meredith Dodson for coaching what to discuss. Read over our new lobby leave-behinds (and take copies with you) and after you’ve had your meeting, please let us know what happened in our Lobby Report Form.
Got Twenty Minutes? Set the Agenda by Submitting Your 2019 Plans
Thank you to our RESULTS groups who have already met and have completed their 2019 leadership and goal planning. How are the rest of you doing? We hope the planning has gone well and we look forward to reading what you came up with. Remember, your goals help you Set the Agenda and create the successes RESULTS volunteers are known for each year. And submitting them now helps RESULTS staff support you in achieving and exceeding them.
TAKE ACTION: Take at least twenty minutes to do your 2019 RESULTS Leadership and Planning meetings and submit your plans using our online form. Please can submit your group’s plan by January 31. Use our planning materials on the Outreach and Planning page. If you have questions, please contact Jos Linn for assistance.
And if you have yet to meet, please get your planning meeting on the calendar ASAP.
Quick News
Join Researching Your Member of Congress Webinar This Thursday. Join Allison Gallaher, RESULTS Cleveland volunteer and Regional Coordinator, for her always popular webinar “Researching Your Members of Congress” webinar. This webinar is perfect for helping you learn more about your legislators as you work to get meetings this month. The webinar is this Thursday, January 24 at 9:00 pm ET. Join at https://results.zoom.us/j/136610114 or call (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID 136610114.
Urge Aides to Attend Housing Briefing on Thursday. The Opportunity Starts at Home campaign, who spoke on our December 2018 National Webinar, will be hosting a congressional briefing next week to highlight the release of its national policy agenda “Within Reach”, which argues that “Congress must take long-overdue action to ensure that the most vulnerable low-income households can afford safe, decent homes.” The briefing is this Thursday, January 24, 1:00-2:00pm ET at the Capitol Visitor Center, Room SVC 212-10. Reach out to your House and Senate housing aides, send them the briefing registration page, and urge them to attend.
Apply for the 2019 REAL Change Fellowship. Check out and share the online application for our emerging young leaders program.
Upcoming Events
Thursday, January 24: Researching Your Member of Congress webinar, 9:00 pm ET. Join at https://results.zoom.us/j/136610114 or call (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID 136610114.
Thursday, January 31: Please submit your 2019 plans. Submit plans using our online plan summary form and find all planning materials on our Outreach and Planning page.
Tuesday, February 5: RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Webinar, 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.
Wednesday, February 6: RESULTS Action Network Community of Practice webinar, 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.
Monday, February 18: Presidents’ Day. All RESULTS offices closed.
Monday, February 18-Friday, February 22: February Congressional Recess. Submit your meeting requests today.
Tuesday, January 19, U.S. Poverty Free Agents Calls, 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.
Saturday, July 13-Tuesday, July 16, 2019: RESULTS International Conference. Learn more at www.resultsconference.org.
Find all events on the RESULTS Events Calendar.
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.
Please fill out the new RESULTS Lobby Report Form after any lobby meeting. In meetings that cover both U.S. and global poverty issues, please fill it out twice.
RESULTS Staff directory.