U.S. Poverty Weekly Update January 31, 2017
U.S. Poverty Campaigns
Weekly Update | January 31, 2017
“Truth matters. This political season has shown that we cannot allow disinformation to derail good government and policies that help families and, especially, children in need.”
– RESULTS Coastal Connecticut volunteer Bill Baker in a January 25 op-ed in the Stamford Advocate
- Got Two Minutes? Show us the Plans (January Action)
- Got Ten Minutes? Use February Recess to Meet First 100 Days Goals (February Action Preview)
- Got Twenty Minutes? Generate Even More Media about Protecting the Safety Net
- Tumultuous Week Creates Concern… and Opportunity
- Quick News
- Upcoming Events
Quick Media Action: Remind Congress that Americans Want a Strong Safety Net
| Take Action! |
Got Two Minutes? Show us the Plans (January Action)
We’re at the last day of the month and day 31 of our First 100 Days Campaign. Have you completed your First 100 Days Group Planning? If so, please send us your plan online using our First 100 Days Group Plan Summary form. The sooner we receive your plan, the sooner we can provide you specific support in reaching your goals. Here are a few First 100 Days goals our groups have already submitted:
- RESULTS Albuquerque will submit all their face-to-face meeting requests in January, engage 10 new people in RESULTS work, and generate 12 new media pieces
- RESULTS DC has submitted face-to-face meeting requests to 5 members of Congress, will engage 10 new people in their Local Action Network, and generate 10 new media pieces
- RESULTS Bremerton/Kitsap (WA) will submit their meeting requests in February, do 2 outreach events, and send 4 people to the RESULTS International Conference in July
Follow their lead and let us know what great things you have planned for the First 100 Days.
TAKE ACTION: Take two minutes to submit your 2017 First 100 Days Group Plan to: www.tinyurl.com/First100Plan. Thank you to everyone who has already submitted their plans. If you don’t have your plan yet, please schedule a time to finish planning as soon as possible. Use the January Action as a guide to help you and find all the materials you need on our RESULTS First 100 Days page. If you have questions about planning, please contact Jos Linn ([email protected]).
Got Ten Minutes? Use February Recess to Meet First 100 Days Goals (February Action Preview)
As we move into February, you have a good opportunity to meet some of your First 100 Days goals. The week of February 20, both the House and Senate will be on recess. If there was ever a time to meet face-to-face with your members of Congress, that is the week to do it. Will Congress try to block-grant SNAP and Medicaid? Will they repeal the Affordable Care Act? Will they do tax reform that expands the EITC and reduces the racial wealth gap? They need to hear your strong message that any new policies must preserve the integrity of critical anti-poverty programs and move us toward the goal of eliminating poverty in America. The Presidents’ Day recess gives you that opportunity. Even if you don’t get a face-to-face meeting, look for town halls and other public events you can attend and ask a question (these events count toward our First 100 Days goal).
TAKE ACTION: Take ten minutes make to contact your House and Senate schedulers and request face-to-face meetings with your members of Congress during the Presidents’ Day recess. Use our lobby meeting request form to help you and you can find scheduler names and contact information on our Elected Officials page. Remember to also ask if they are doing any town halls or public events that week. As you get your meetings or town halls scheduled, please enter the meeting info into our First 100 Days Meeting Tracker: http://tinyurl.com/100daysmeetings. Also, please contact Meredith Dodson ([email protected]) to set up a lobby prep call to help you get ready for your lobby meetings.
Additional Resources:
- We now have updated lobby meeting “leave-behinds” available on the website for SNAP, EITC, and the racial wealth gap you can take to your meetings.
- Take a copy of the CHN Save for All Letter to your meeting; many RESULTS groups signed onto it, urging Congress to protect the safety net (print just the letter, national signers, and signers from your state).
- The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has updated SNAP state fact sheets to help with your lobby meetings.
- RESULTS is offering numerous training webinars to help you reach your First 100 Days goals. See upcoming calls below and in our Events Calendar. You can listen to recordings of past calls from the First 100 Days page.
- Pleas complete the RESULTS Lobby Report Form (www.tinyurl.com/RESLRF) after each meeting/town hall you attend.
- Check out the First 100 Days grid to see how far we are on our campaign goal.
Got Twenty Minutes? Generate Even More Media about Protecting the Safety Net
This past weekend, some RESULTS volunteers, including some of our Experts on Poverty, gathered in Washington, DC to do a media training about protecting SNAP. Most of the attendees have had experiences with poverty themselves and were able to share their stories, in some cases for the first time. Despite being in a very crowded and activity-laden capital, these folks stayed focused on generating media on the importance of SNAP to America’s hungry families. By the end of the weekend, they all had submitted letters to the editor and will have submitted op-eds by the end of this week.
Follow their lead. RESULTS volunteers have generated a whopping 46 media pieces this month (44 LTEs and 2 op-eds). Already Congress has pushed back the potential repeal of the Affordable Care Act to April, in part because of the public outcry in the media (including many of you). Think what you can do for SNAP and the EITC if you keep this relentless and amazing pressure going in your local media.
TAKE ACTION: Use our online media alert to send a letter to the editor to your local paper today, urging Congress to protect important anti-poverty programs. Let them know that you won’t stand for efforts to dismantle the safety net and increase poverty in America. After you’ve taken action yourself, use our blog to send a message to your Local Action Network urging them to take action too. If you need help with your letters, or would like to try submitting an op-ed, please contact Jos Linn at [email protected] for assistance.
Tumultuous Week Creates Concern… and Opportunity
President Trump’s first week in office has been quite stormy. His executive order banning refuges from predominantly Muslim countries, calling for a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, and votes on his controversial Cabinet nominees have sparked large protests and outrage among many (and praise from some). At the very least, it has created a great deal of confusion and concern about the future.
But this also creates an opportunity. The election of Donald Trump has created a new energy in the American people. Regardless of political background, people are waking up to the fact that there is no democracy without participation (beyond voting) and there is no liberty without responsibility. These are good things. A more active and participatory populace, whether you support or oppose the government’s policies, only serves to strengthen democracy.
But there are many people out there who want to take action but don’t know how. As RESULTS founder Sam Daley-Harris has said, the greatest crisis we face today is why so many people doubt that they can be agents of change. You can help them overcome that doubt. By your example, you can show them how everyday people can and are making a difference on issues that matter. Here’s a few ways how:
- Invite someone to a RESULTS Intro Call. These 30-minute calls (twice per month) give quick overview of RESULTS and how to get involved, and every interested person gets a personal follow-up. Sign up for a call here.
- Invite someone to take action. Nothing soothes a restless soul than focused activity. Send someone the link to an online action or forward them a copy of this Update and urge them to sign up for themselves.
- Invite someone to your next local RESULTS meeting. Knowing you’re not alone in this work engenders relief and courage. Ask someone new to come to your next RESULTS meeting and welcome their contribution to your group.
Quick News
Remember to Invite Tax Aides to Thursday’s Event. Last week, we highlighted that Tax Credits for Working Families and CFED are holding a briefing in Washington, DC this Thursday, February 2 on how low-income tax payers can create and retain wealth. Please invite the tax aides from your House and Senate offices to attend this informative event with policy-makers and experts. For more details and a sample e-mail to send to aides, see the January 24 RESULTS U.S. Poverty Weekly Update.
Register for the RESULTS International Conference. RESULTS is already gearing up for our biggest event of the year – the RESULTS International Conference. The Conference is July 22-25 in Washington, DC. Hundreds of advocates from around the world will be there to make their voices heard. Be a part of something special by joining us this summer in DC – register today.
Send in REAL Change Applications. One of RESULTS’ most successful projects over the last few years has been the REAL Change Fellowship. The program is designed to educate, train, and empower the next generation of anti-poverty advocates. The year-long program kicks off at the RESULTS International Conference and then fellows take what they’ve learned back home to energize others in their community. If you or someone you know is 18-30 years old and wants to make a difference in the world, urge them to apply for the Fellowship now.
Last Day to Enroll in the Affordable Care Act. January 31 is the final day you can apply for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for 2017. Depending on what happens in Congress the next few months, it could be the last day to enroll ever. If you or someone you know needs health care coverage, visit www.healthcare.gov to apply today. When you're done, send a letter to the editor telling people you enrolled and urging Congress to protect health care for low-income Americans.
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.
Upcoming staff vacations: Jos Linn, February 17, March 18-26.
Upcoming Congressional Recesses: House and Senate: February 20-24.
Training Call: Leading with Action: Mapping and Engaging Community Groups Powerfully with RESULTS Tools, Wednesday, February 1, 9:00 pm ET. Login online: http://fuze.me/34116910; or via phone at (201) 479-4595, Meeting ID 34116910#.
Training Call: Telling Our Stories of Self, Us, and Now to Engage Others, Tuesday, February 7, 9:00 pm ET. Login online: http://fuze.me/34116930; or via phone (201) 479-4595, Meeting ID 34116930#.
RESULTS Introductory Call, Friday, February 8 at 9:00 pm ET. If you want to learn more about RESULTS, register for an Intro Call on the RESULTS website.
RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Webinar, Saturday, February 11 at 12:30 pm ET. Participate at http://fuze.me/32255914 or (201) 479-4595, Meeting ID: 32255914#. Listen to previous webinars on our National Webinars page.
Presidents Day, Monday, February 20. All RESULTS offices closed.
RESULTS U.S. Poverty Free Agents Calls, Tuesday, February 21 at 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm ET. To participate, login at http://fuze.me/32256018 or dial by phone at (201) 479-4595, Meeting ID: 32256018#.
Training Call: Creating Bi-Partisan Support for our Issues in our Communities: A Learning and Sharing Lab, Wednesday, March 15 at 9:00 pm ET. Login online: http://fuze.me/34116938; or via phone (201)479-4595, Meeting ID 34116938#.
RESULTS International Conference, Saturday, July 22 – Tuesday, July 25, 2017. Washington Court Hotel, Washington, DC. Registration is now open!
If you have a question, comment or suggestion for the RESULTS/RESULTS Educational Fund Board, please e-mail them to RESULTS Grassroots Board Member Vanessa Garcia 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.