U.S. Poverty Weekly Update January 30, 2018
U.S. Poverty Campaigns
Weekly Update | January 30, 2018
“[Martin Luther] King concluded to Kansans, ‘There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular. He must take it because conscience tells him that he is right. And that is where I stand today.’ If these politicians wish to stand with King, then they must stand with and protect America’s poor.”
– RESULTS Manhattan, KS volunteer Garrett Wilkinson in a January 26 op-ed in the Wichita Eagle
Got Ten Minutes? Submit Your 2018 Group Plans (January Action)
We hope you are creating bold and fun outcomes for your groups this month as part of our annual Group Planning process. Planning out your goals for the year is critical first step in ensuring your success. And RESULTS staff and volunteer Regional Coordinators are ready to help you start implementing your 2018 Group Plans. The only thing we need is a copy of your plan.
TAKE ACTION: Take two minutes to submit your completed Group Planning Summary. Help us get started in supporting you to reach your 2018 goals. Copy and scan the Summary and e-mail it to Jos Linn. We’d like to get all plans submitted by tomorrow, January 31. If you are still completing it, use the January Action for guidance. Find all the group planning resources and forms on the Group Resources page (if your planning meeting is scheduled after January 31, submit your plan after your meeting ASAP).
Got Ten Minutes? Use State of the Union to Send a Message about Protecting Medicaid and SNAP
Tonight, President Trump delivers his first official State of the Union address to Congress. There is much speculation about what he might include in his speech. One thing you can count on is that he will tout the recent tax bill passed by Congress as a great success. You, of course, know different. You know that the bill makes puts anti-poverty programs at great risk and widens wealth inequality in the U.S. He may also speak about recent effects to tighten participation in Medicaid by allowing states to impose stringent work requirements on participants.
Whatever the President discusses, we must be clear to members of Congress that any attempts to cut, restructure, or restrict access to core anti-poverty programs will be met with stiff resistance from constituents. We cannot allow Congress to use false myths about poverty and phony economics about tax cuts to exacerbate the suffering of low-income Americans.
TAKE ACTION: After tonight’s State of the Union message, take ten minutes to send a message to your representative and both senators urging them to oppose any effort to cut or restructure Medicaid, SNAP, and other anti-poverty programs in 2018. Use our online e-mail alert to let them know that we should be working to lift more and more Americans out of poverty, not demonize and punish those who need help. In addition to the speech, include a link to this recent NY Times op-ed about growing deep poverty in the U.S.; it is an excellent reminder that backward policies that attack anti-poverty programs will only cause more Americans to suffer.
Got Twenty Minutes? Set Up Face-to-Face Meetings So Your #LettersGetLOUD (January Action)
In just a few days, RESULTS will launch its #LettersGetLOUD campaign. As noted last week, the campaign is being used to inspire and motivate existing and potential new volunteers into action that will bring us closer to a world free of poverty. Advocates will write letters, record reading them out loud when possible, and then hand-deliver them to members of Congress and their staff. #LettersGetLOUD is all about the power of action. The power of writing letters that make a difference. The power of reading them aloud to inspire veteran and new advocates alike. And the power of hand-delivering these letters to decision-makers.
Delivering letters is key to the success of this effort. Lawmakers are inundated with information. Therefore, information has to stand out – your letters have to get LOUD – to rise above the noise. Make sure they do by setting up your meetings now!
TAKE ACTION: Take twenty minutes to request face-to-face meetings with your members of Congress. Both representatives and senators will be on recess the week of February 19. Over the next few weeks, Democrats and Republicans will be mapping out their agendas for the year so February meetings are a perfect time to meet with them. The January Action has a sample meeting request and a guide for requesting meetings. If you need help with requests, please contact Jos Linn.
Join us next Tuesday, February 6 at 8:00pm ET for the U.S. Poverty National Webinar to learn much more about #LettersGetLOUD.
Quick News
National Webinar is Next Tuesday. Remember that the RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Webinar is moving to the first Tuesday of the month starting in February. The webinar will be next Tuesday, February 6 at 8:00pm ET. Please remind your group members of the change.
Call Congress to Protect Dreamers. Congress has less than two weeks to come up with an answer on immigration policy or face another government shutdown. Caught in the middle are the Dreamers – immigrants brought to the U.S. as children and only know America as their home. Join our friends at the Coalition on Human Needs in calling on Congress to protect Dreamers by passing the Dream Act. Use CHN’s action alert to call your members of Congress today.
RESULTS International Conference Inspires. Remember that registration for the 2018 RESULTS International Conference (July 14-17 in Washington, DC) is now open at www.resultsconference.org. The Conference is our biggest single event of the year and has been inspiring advocates for more than 30 years. Take for example, Kiran Waqar. Not long ago, Kiran was an advocacy novice. But after joining RESULTS, she has become a powerful voice for change, which she demonstrated when she officially opened last year’s Conference. In addition to her RESULTS work, she has been using her voice to speak up against oppression through Muslim Girls Making Change. Experience what Kiran and countless others have at the Conference this year – register today!
REAL Change Application is Now Open. If you or someone you know is 18-30 years old and you want to learn how to be a change-maker in the world, apply for REAL Change Fellowship. This year-long fellowship provides young advocates training and experience in all forms of advocacy, starting with an eventful kickoff at the 2018 RESULTS International Conference. Slots are limited so apply today.
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.
Iowa (Iowa City) Presentation on Poverty and Young Children, Tuesday, January 30, 2018 at 6:30pm CT. St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 2675 E. Washington Street, Iowa City, IA. More details soon. Contact Jos Linn for more information.
RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Webinar, Tuesday, February 6 at 8:00 pm ET. Participate at http://fuze.me/32255914 or (201) 479-4595, Meeting ID: 32255914#.
RESULTS Webinar: Integrating Anti-Oppression into Outreach, Tuesday, February 13 at 8:00pm ET. More details to come.
Pennsylvania “Join the Fight Against Poverty” Training, Saturday, February 17 at 10:00am ET. Featuring RESULTS Expert on Poverty Asia Bijan Thompson. Al Beech/Wood Side Food Pantry, 190 S Sprague Ave, Kingston, PA. For more information contact [email protected].
House and Senate Recess, February 19-23. After any lobby meeting, please complete the RESULTS Lobby Report Form to let us know how it went.
U.S. Poverty Free Agents Calls, Tuesday, February 20 at 1:00pm and 8:00pm ET. Login at http://fuze.me/32256018 or dial in by phone at (201) 479-4595, Meeting ID: 32256018#.
2018 RESULTS International Conference, July 14-17, 2018, Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C. Registration is now open – register today! Also, check out our new 2018 Conference flyer!
If you have a question, comment or suggestion for the RESULTS/RESULTS Educational Fund Board, please e-mail them to RESULTS Grassroots Board Member Steven McGee at [email protected]. You can view the most recently published minutes from Board meetings on the RESULTS website, as well as download RESULTS’ most recent Annual Report.