U.S. Poverty Weekly Update January 8, 2019
Quote of the Week
“Too many of us weren’t taught civics in school or it was so long ago we forgot how our government works. RESULTS is an advocacy organization that heals the break between government and citizens.”
– RESULTS Austin volunteer Anne Child in a December 26 letter to the editor in the Austin American-Statesman
Got Two Minutes (and then 58 more)? Join 2019’s First National Webinar Tonight at 8pm ET
Happy New Year! To kick off 2019, please join the RESULTS January 2019 U.S. Poverty National Webinar tonight (Tuesday), January 8 at 8:00 pm ET. On the call, we’ll continue our housing issue education from last month with Alison Bell, Senior Policy Analyst in the Housing Policy Division at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. She’ll talk to us about the current and long-term challenges low-income Americans face in seeking rental housing, including the potential impact of the current government shutdown on these policies. Also, January is leadership and planning month, so we’ll review how best to help your group get off to a great start in 2019 with group planning.
TAKE ACTION: Take two minutes to join the RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Webinar tonight, January 8 at 8:00 pm ET. Then stick around for the rest of the webinar. 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). If you login online, please list both your first and last names when prompted. Be sure to remind your groups of the webinar. The slides for the webinar will be available later today on our new National Webinars page. If you have questions or need help, please contact Jos Linn.
If you want to dig in on housing a little before the webinar, see CBPP’s new interactive map showing where housing vouchers recipients live in metropolitan areas. Also, see CBPP’s paper on reducing discrimination against people using housing vouchers.
Got Ten Minutes? Set the Agenda with Face-to-Face Meetings
This is the first full week for the new Congress. All the attention in DC is focused on the partial government shutdown and getting it resolved. The shutdown will end at some point and we want to be ready for what’s next. As we’ve discussed over the last month, low-income housing and tax issues look to be prime areas of focus for us in 2019 and we want to get Congress on board. That starts now by meeting with members of Congress – especially new ones – while their to-do lists are still short. This is part of our Set the Agenda campaign for the first few months of this year.
Congress will be on recess this month (January 19–27) and next (February 16–24). Take advantage of these recesses (and other times they will be home) to meet with them and talk about important issues impacting low-income Americans.
TAKE ACTION: Take ten minutes to the Set the Agenda by requesting face-to-face meetings with your members of Congress. Use our updated meeting request (online or Word doc) you can personalize and submit today. Remember, these meetings are great for new advocates so be sure to invite them to go with you. Once you get a meeting scheduled, please contact Meredith Dodson for coaching on the specifics you should discuss. After you’ve had your meeting, please let us know what happened by filling out our new and improved Lobby Report Form.
Got Twenty Minutes? Schedule Your Leadership and Planning Meeting
It’s January and thus one of the most important months of the year for RESULTS. That’s because January is when we plan. When our volunteers strategize and document their intentions for the coming year. Just over the last two years, RESULTS annual planning has helped you set records for media, outreach, and face-to-face meetings. RESULTS annual planning has helped you preserve the integrity of SNAP and Medicaid. And RESULTS annual planning has helped you engaging more new people in our work, both as volunteers and donors. So, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
RESULTS has all the tools you need to have a good leadership and planning meeting this month. And leadership is the key. We want you to spend the bulk of your meeting time this month focusing on the make-up of your group and what role(s) each person will play. Using our 2019 Group Planning Guide, you’ll have what you need to have a meaningful leadership discussion. In addition, goal setting will focus on the first four months of the year, as part of our Set the Agenda campaign. This will help you focus, save time, and allow you to revisit and adjust goals twice more later in the year (we’ll set goals in four-month increments). Finally, now you can submit your plan online, making it much easier for you to turn in and RESULTS staff to review (you will get a copy also).
TAKE ACTION: Take twenty minutes to schedule a date and time in January to have your local group’s 2019 RESULTS Leadership and Planning meeting. Please set your meeting soon so you can submit your group’s online plan by January 31. You can find the planning materials on our new Outreach and Planning page (under “My group wants to make our plans”). If you have questions, please contact Jos Linn for assistance.
Quick News
Government Shutdown News. As the government shutdown lingers on, the risk to anti-poverty programs grows. Read more about the potential impact of a protracted government shutdown on SNAP, housing, and 2019 anti-poverty policy improvements.
Join Researching Your Member of Congress Webinar. 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. The webinar is 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.
The REAL Change Fellowship 2019-20 Class Application is Open! Check out and share the online application for this emerging young leaders program.
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, January 8: 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, January 9: 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.
Tuesday, January 15, 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.
Monday, January 21: Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. All RESULTS offices closed.
Monday, January 21-Friday, January 25: January Congressional Recess. Submit your meeting requests today.
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.
Monday, February 18-Friday, February 22: February Congressional Recess. Submit your meeting requests today.
Saturday, July 13-Tuesday, July 16, 2019: RESULTS International Conference. Learn more at www.resultsconference.org and share your ideas for speakers and sessions by completing our IC suggestion form.
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.