U.S. Poverty Weekly Update January 29, 2019
Quote of the Week
“I believe this is the time we can end hunger and poverty and disease so let’s get together and do this.”
– RESULTS Snohomish volunteer Willie Dickerson on the January 21 “Vote, But Your Civic Engagement Doesn’t End There” episode of NPR’s The Takeaway (at the 35:30 mark)
Got Two Minutes? Remind Your Groups of Next Week’s National Webinar
The RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Webinar is next Tuesday, February 5 at 8:00 pm ET. With the most recent congressional recess canceled because of the shutdown, all eyes turn to the Presidents’ Day recess, February 18-22. On next week’s webinar, we’ll help you Set the Agenda for the new Congress by helping you prepare for meetings during that recess. We’ll review the policies to discuss in your meetings and how you can use them for group outreach. Please join us.
TAKE ACTION: Take two minutes to prepare for the RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Webinar next Tuesday, February 5 at 8:00 pm ET by confirming your plans this week. If your group is meeting together for the webinar, let them know when and where you will meet. If you are not getting together, ask people to join online at: https://results.zoom.us/j/873308801 or 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, please contact Jos Linn.
Got Ten Minutes? Shutdown is Over, Time to Set the Agenda
The federal government is back to work, and it couldn’t come soon enough. Congress and the President came to an agreement last week to fund the government until February 15. This means workers can start getting paid again (back pay is expected to go out this week) and families seeking assistance can rest easier knowing that things are OK for now (even if the government shuts down again, it appears SNAP benefits are safe through April).
Fortunately, lawmakers are already working hard to avoid another shutdown this year. At RESULTS, we are moving full steam ahead to Set the Agenda for the new Congress. And priority number one is getting meetings with members of Congress and their staff as soon as possible. Already, dozens of REAL Change Fellows are setting meetings for their Mid-Year Retreat Lobby Day (Feb. 12) and many more of you are requesting meetings for the Presidents’ Day recess (Feb. 18-22). Make sure you include yourself in this list. Congress is having to play catch-up from the shutdown so things could start moving fast. Be one to tell them to put expanding access to affordable housing at the top of the priority list.
TAKE ACTION: Take ten minutes to request face-to-face meetings with your members of Congress for the February recess (February 18-22) or earlier. We know many of you have put in your meeting requests. Thank you! If you have, follow up this week to see what the status is. If you have not requested a meeting yet, use our updated meeting request (online or Word doc) to request your meeting now. Be sure to invite new people to attend these meetings with you. Once you get a meeting scheduled, please contact Meredith Dodson for coaching.
Write Letters for Lobby Meetings. Help bolster lobby meetings the REAL Change Fellows will have on February 12 in Washington, DC. Use January Action Sheet to write letters telling your members of Congress to increase funding for rental housing. Give these to these REAL Changers you know to hand-deliver in DC. If you need help, contact Jos Linn for assistance. If you can’t get letters to a REAL Changer, write letters to hand-deliver in your local lobby meetings in February.
Got Twenty Minutes? Submit Your 2019 Plans This Week
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
Do you want to end poverty in America? Do you want to ensure that every American has the resources to afford a roof over their heads? Do you want to remind Congress that they are accountable to you? We thought you did. So, the next question is – do you have a plan to make that happen? RESULTS wants to help you make one. Every January, RESULTS volunteers meet to set roles and goals for the year. We do this because wanting to make a difference is just the beginning; next you need a plan to achieve it. It’s why RESULTS volunteers have secured tens of billions in funding for anti-poverty programs over the last 39 years helping people around the world rise out of poverty.
2019 RESULTS group plans are starting to trickle in. Hopefully this week, we’ll see a wave. Thank you to groups in Washington, DC, San Diego, Austin, Chicago, Connecticut, St. Louis, and Columbus for already submitting your U.S. Poverty plans. We know many of you are waiting to have your leadership and planning meetings, while others are done but haven’t filled out the online form yet. Please submit your plans as soon as possible. If your plan is only partially done and you’re not sure when you’ll finish it, submit what you have now. You can always go back and submit a revised version later (plus we will revisit planning again this spring).
All great movements had a plan of action. Join them by making yours now.
TAKE ACTION: Take twenty minutes to fill out and submit your 2019 group plan using our online form. The deadline to submit them is this Thursday, January 31. We, of course, will take plans after that date; the deadline is a reminder that the sooner you submit it, the sooner we can start helping you achieve your goals. Use our planning materials on the Outreach and Planning page. If you have questions, please contact Jos Linn for assistance.
Quick News
Invite Tax Staffers to EITC Briefing on February 7. In the wake of last week’s EITC Awareness Day, Prosperity Now and Tax Credits for Workers and Their Families will host a briefing on Thursday, February 7 at 9:00 am ET at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center to “discuss how policymakers, community tax preparers and advocates can work together in 2019 to face these challenges and leverage the opportunities to expand the EITC and other programs that help low-income Americans get by and get ahead.” Contact tax aides in your House and Senate offices by sending them the event invitation and urging them to attend.
Share “Within Reach” Housing Agenda with Aides. Reach out to housing aides in your House and Senate offices to share with them Opportunity Starts at Home’s new report Within Reach, which outlines their ideas for solving America’s affordable housing crisis. If you are not sure of the aide, ask the tax aide you reach out to for the EITC briefing (above) whom you should contact.
“Researching Your Members of Congress” Webinar Recording. If you were not able to attend last week’s “Researching Your Members of Congress” webinar, you can listen to the recording here. As you prepare for lobby meetings, use the tips and tools from this informative webinar to help you prepare.
Apply for the 2019 REAL Change Fellowship. Check out and share the online application for our emerging young leaders program. Apply today!
Upcoming Events
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.
U.S. Poverty Staff time out of the office: Meredith Dodson, February 18-22. Jos Linn, March 21-22.
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.