U.S. Poverty Weekly Update June 10, 2014

June 10, 2014

Unfortunately, members of Congress did not make permanent the 2009 improvements of the EITC and CTC… Ironically, the House recently approved permanent tax cuts or subsidies to corporations and financial institutions without offsetting the $301 billion cost… What do we value as a country?

— RESULTS Tampa Free Agent Barbara Drake a June 6 letter to the editor in the Tampa Bay Times

We should be thankful we live in a democracy where we enjoy a right to petition our government and speak freely about priorities that help us, “we the people.” We have the ability to set the agenda and reset our representatives’ priorities to reflect those that make a difference in real people’s lives.

— RESULTS Des Moines volunteer Benjamin Allen a June 10 op-ed in the Des Moines Register

New and Urgent in This Week's Update (Two-Ten-Twenty Actions)

Latest from Washington, DC

Organizational Updates

Got Two Minutes? Confirm Your Plans for the RESULTS National Conference Call at 12:30 pm ET with Dr. Maya Rockeymoore

Join us this Saturday for the RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Conference Call. This month, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Maya Rockeymoore, President and CEO of Global Policy Solutions. She is the co-author of the recent report Beyond Broke: Why Closing the Racial Wealth Gap is a Priority for National Economic Security. Dr. Rockeymoore will discuss the report with us and ways we can use its findings in our advocacy around expanding economic mobility. On the call, we’ll also talk about the latest happenings in Washington, DC and how you can mobilize your communities back home to take action this month. We’ll also hear from the RESULTS Global Poverty staff about what issues they’re working on. We look forward to you joining us for this exciting call.

TAKE ACTION: Take two minutes to remind your local RESULTS group about the RESULTS monthly national conference call this Saturday, June 14 at 12:30 pm ET. Coordinate with your group where you will meet for the call. To join the call, dial (888) 409-6709 and once connected to the operator, ask for the RESULTS National Conference Call. Plan to call in no later than 12:27 pm ET to give time to the operator to connect you with the call. Later this week, we’ll have the June 2014 Conference Call Overview slides on the RESULTS Home Page in the “Take Action” box in the top right-hand corner.

Got Ten Minutes? Write Letters and Take a Group Picture for the RESULTS International Conference (June Action)

This month, we are focusing our efforts on mobilizing communities into action, using the RESULTS International Conference as the catalyst for taking action. One of the actions highlighted in the June Action is having your group write letters to your members of Congress to be hand-delivered in DC during the conference. This will help amplify the message of your fellow group members who will be lobbying at the conference. To make this happen, we urge you and your group to write your letters before or right after Saturday’s National Conference Call. The June Action has talking points and a sample letter you can use, but do your best to make your letters personal. Once written, give them to the members of your group who are coming to DC. If no one in your group is coming to DC but your have volunteers from other parts of your state who are, mail your letters to them ASAP and ask them to deliver your letters.

In addition, we want your group to be highlighted at the conference. At the conference opening on June 21, we will be showing at slideshow with pictures of various RESULTS groups and volunteers around the country. We want your photos in that slideshow. We also have a theme: “The change I want to create in the world is…” Just make a sign that finishes that phrase, take a picture of your group holding the sign, and then send your photo to Jay Carroll at [email protected]. The deadline to submit your picture is Tuesday, June 17. See an example of what we’re looking for in Jay’s RESULTS Blog post.

TAKE ACTION: Take ten minutes to write letters to your senators and representatives urging them to expand economic mobility in America. Plan to write them before or right after this Saturday’s National Conference Call so you can give them to your group members traveling to DC. The June Action has talking points and a sample letter to help you. Also, please take a photo of your group holding a sign that finishes the phrase “The change I want to create in the world is…” and send your photo to [email protected] for the conference slideshow.

Got Twenty Minutes? Ask People to Participate in the June 24 Call-in Day (June Action)

This month, we’re supporting you in reaching out to your larger community to take action. Just like working with the media, people need a “hook” – something interesting, timely, and important – to get them into action. This month’s RESULTS International Conference can be that hook. Hundreds of volunteers from all over the world will be traveling to Washington, DC to tell Congress to make ending poverty a priority. Impress upon people you know the significance of this event and that people back home can support our volunteers in DC by taking action back home at the same time.

And we’re making it easy for you. On June 24, we’re hosting a national call-in day about expanding economic mobility in America. This will coincide with Lobby Day at the conference. As your fellow volunteers are meeting with their members of Congress about expanding economic mobility, people in your community can amplify the message by calling Congress. Making the calls will only take a few minutes, but it will help make a big impact on congressional offices. We have created a call-in flyer you can use in your outreach to individuals and groups (it also includes a QR code people can use to also send an e-mail via their smartphone or tablet). We will also send out an e-mail the morning of Lobby Day you can forward to people you contact as a reminder to take action.

TAKE ACTION: Take twenty minutes to create a list of people you’d like to participate in our Lobby Day call-in day. Reach out to them, let them know what’s going on, and ask them to take action on June 24. You message could be something like this:

Dear _________,

I’m writing to ask for your help. As you may know, hundreds of volunteers from around the world are traveling to Washington, DC later this month for the RESULTS International Conference (if you are going, mention that too). The purpose of this gathering is simple – to tell our elected officials in DC that it’s time to make ending poverty a national priority. On June 24, volunteers will march up Capitol Hill and urge our members of Congress to invest in solutions that lift and keep people out of poverty. I need your help.

So that Congress gets the message loud and clear, will you stand in solidarity with us on June 24 by taking action from here in __________? It is very simple. On June 24, call our representative and both senators and leave a message with their receptionists, urging them to protect Americans working to get out of poverty. It would only take about 5 minutes to make all three calls. RESULTS volunteers will be saying the same thing in their meetings that day, so your calls will help us really hit the message home. Would you be willing to do this?

Attached is a flyer with all the information you need. An e-mail will also go out that morning, which I will send to you as well. I really appreciate your help. We need your voice and appreciate your willingness to act. And if you know anyone else who’d also be willing to call on June 24, please forward them this message and the flyer.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

It’s that simple. The June Action has other resources to help you reach out to people and get them into action this month, including a link to the call-in flyer, different ideas for actions to take, information people can use to write letters to Congress, and ideas for engaging people after the conference. Help us send a strong, united message this month by mobilizing your communities into action during the RESULTS International Conference.

Not Coming to DC for the RESULTS International Conference? Help Out Those Who Are

If you woke up this morning and said to yourself: “I feel like going to DC and talking to Congress about how we can end poverty in America”, I have just the thing for you. The RESULTS International Conference is less than two weeks away and there is still time to register. We are planning an amazing conference again this year and we want you there! Go to the RESULTS website and register for the conference today.

Getting ready for the conference can be a fun but time-consuming process. If you cannot come to the conference this year, you can help out those who are. One vital component of conference preparation is setting up lobby meetings for Lobby Day on June 24. If someone from your group is attending the conference, help them out by offering to set up their lobby meetings for them. It’s perfectly appropriate to do so. Just contact your House and Senate schedulers (find names and contact info on our Elected Officials page) to schedule the meetings, using our downloadable meeting request letter or our online version. Also, once you do have meetings scheduled, please enter the meeting information in the Lobby Meeting Form at http://tinyurl.com/HillMeeting (please fill it out separately for each meeting).

Another way you can help your fellow members coming to DC is by inviting your Members of Congress to the Lobby Day Reception. On the evening of June 24, RESULTS volunteers will gather at the Washington Court Hotel for the Reception, which is the official closing of the conference. The reception provides a great opportunity to hear from members of Congress about the great work you do. So that your fellow group members can spend time doing other important tasks before coming to DC (see below), help them by inviting your members of Congress to attend the reception. Use our invitation letter to invite your members of Congress today.

For those coming to DC for the conference, here are a few important things to do to get ready:

  1. Contact Meredith Dodson to set up a lobby prep call. If you do not have a prep call scheduled to talk about your lobby meetings in DC, please contact her ASAP to get one set up: [email protected], (202) 783-7100, x. 116.
  2. Read the RESULTS U.S. Poverty Legislative Handbook. The legislative handbook has background information on all of our 2014 U.S. Poverty Campaigns and is a valuable resource in preparation for the conference. We strongly recommend you download and read it before you come to DC (and bring a hard or digital copy with you); we will not be printing copies for everyone. The handbook is now available on the RESULTS International Conference page.
  3. Submit Questions for Keynote Speakers. Submit questions for conference keynote speakers Dr. Jim Kim, Tavis Smiley, Raj Shah, and others at the conference. Go to our questions form to submit your questions today. Note: You can submit questions whether you are coming to DC or not.

For an additional list of helpful tips to get ready and engage others for the conference, download the International Conference Checklist. We look forward to seeing you in DC!

RESULTS Outreach – Updates from Our Fabulous Organizers

Despite all the craziness of getting ready for the RESULTS Conference next week, we are still working hard to engage new people and new communities in our work. Our U.S. Poverty Organizers Kristy Martino and Myrdin Thompson have been traveling quite a bit lately to connect new people to RESULTS.

Last week, Kristy traveled to the Deep South, engaging students at the 2014 Bonner Summer Leadership Institute Conference in Georgia. She then traveled to Birmingham, Alabama, Jackson, Mississippi, and Little Rock, Arkansas to meet with potential new advocates. We encourage you to read about Kristy’s southern journey in her RESULTS Blog post. If you know anyone in the above areas or other part of the South, please contact Kristy at [email protected]; she is happy to talk to them.

In addition, Myrdin has been working with volunteers in Indianapolis and Kentucky in recent weeks. Volunteers in Indianapolis have been meeting weekly over the last month getting trained and we expect them to complete their training in July. Myrdin has also been working with REAL Change participants in Louisville, KY on starting a new group there. They will begin their training in July. If you know people in Louisville, invite them to join Myrdin and others for the RESULTS National Conference Call this Saturday at 622 W. Ashland Ave., Louisville, KY. For more information, contact Myrdin at (502) 295-1315 or [email protected].

You can read about Myrdin’s work in these and other areas, as well as the meaningful relationships she has been building with members of Circles USA, in her RESULTS Blog post. If you know people in Indianapolis or other parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee, please contact Myrdin at [email protected].

Join RESULTS Intro Call Tomorrow, Free Agents and Media Calls Next Week

If you or someone you know is new to RESULTS, invite them to join our next RESULTS Introductory Call. These 30-45 minute calls provide a good overview of RESULTS and how you and others can get involved. The next RESULTS Intro Call is tomorrow, June 11 at 9:00 pm ET. To register for this or another upcoming Intro Call, go to: https://results.org/take_action/become_a_results_activist/.

Also, the RESULTS U.S. Poverty Free Agents will be meeting next Tuesday, June 17 at 1:00pm at 9:00 pm ET for their monthly support calls. If you live in an area with no RESULTS U.S. Poverty group, would like to connect with other volunteers, and get trained and supported in taking action on our issues, please join us. To participate in one of the calls, dial (443) 453-0034 and enter passcode 703096.

Finally the RESULTS Media Team will be holding their monthly support call on Tuesday, June 17 at 8:00 pm ET. This group meets monthly to help volunteers who want to improve their media advocacy skills. To participate in the call, dial (712) 775-7300 and enter passcode 954747#.

Quick News

EITC for Childless Workers in States. One of the issues RESULTS has been talking in 2014 is expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for workers without children in the home. This group of workers is eligible for a much smaller EITC than families (less than ten percent of what a family with 3 children receives). According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, “a childless adult working full time at the minimum wage (and earning $14,500) will have a federal income and payroll tax burden of $2,617 in 2015 after receiving an EITC of just $22.” In other words, they are being taxed into poverty. The President and others in Congress have proposed increasing and expanding the EITC for childless workers, and some states have acted on it as well. New York created a tax credit for non-custodial parents in 2006, which has shown to help increase child support payment rates. You can read more about the New York program in the RESULTS Blog post from RESULTS U.S. Poverty Intern Kayla Kitson. After reading her post, use our online e-mail action to tell Congress to protect and expand the EITC for families and workers without children.

For updates on all our U.S. Poverty Campaigns, see our U.S. Poverty Campaigns Summary page on the RESULTS website.

Fundraising Update

Have YOU set up your Friends and Family Page to help raise funds around the various spring and summer activities that are coming up? Here are some suggestions that you could incorporate into things you are already planning:  ​

  • The “Lobby Day” campaign will invite donors to vicariously join in our International Conference and Lobby Day by donating to support our lobbying and training activities.
  • The “RESULTS Celebration" website is designed volunteers who wish to fundraise for a birthday, wedding, graduation or other life events. It can be used at any time during the year.
  • The “RESULTS Race to End Poverty​” site is designed for volunteers who are doing physical challenges like running, swimming, or biking, such as the IC Everyday Hero Dash taking place on June 21 in DC, which you can participate in from home or in DC!

If you need help setting up your pages for any of these events, contact Jen DeFranco​ to get started today.

Announcements

Last Week to Nominate Grassroots Volunteer for RESULTS Board. We are seeking nominations for two Grassroots Board Member positions which will be open this fall. Candidates can be nominated by others or can nominate themselves. The deadline to nominate someone is THIS Sunday, June 15. Please e-mail your nomination to [email protected] or call 202-783-4800 x152.

Give Feedback to Grassroots Board Members. The four RESULTS Grassroots Board Members (Heide Craig, Lydia Pendley, Ginnie Vogts, and Beth Wilson) would like to hear from you if you have questions or ideas about RESULTS and our work. Send your questions or suggestions to Heide at: [email protected].

RESULTS Activity Calendar

(See a complete calendar on the RESULTS website)

Upcoming Congressional Recesses: House and Senate: June 30 – July 4. Request face-to-face meetings.

Wednesday, June 11: RESULTS Introductory Call, 9:00pm CT. Register for this or another Intro Call at: https://results.org/take_action/become_a_results_activist/.

Saturday, June 14: RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Conference Call, 12:30 pm ET. (888) 409-6709. Listen to previous conference calls online.

Tuesday, June 17: RESULTS Media Support Call, 8:00 pm ET. (712) 775-7399, passcode 954747#.

Tuesday, June 17: RESULTS U.S. Poverty Free Agents Calls, 1:00 pm ET and 9:00 pm ET. (443) 453-0034, passcode 703096.

Saturday, June 21 – Tuesday, June 24: RESULTS International Conference, Washington, DC. REGISTER TODAY!

RESULTS Contact Information

Main Office: (p) (202) 783-7100, (f) (202) 466-1397, 1101 15th St NW, Suite 1200, Washington, DC 20005. If mailing a donation to our DC office, please address the envelope to the attention of Cynthia Stancil.

RESULTS U.S. Poverty Legislative and Grassroots Support Staff:

The RESULTS U.S. Poverty Update is sent out every Tuesday via email to RESULTS volunteers and allies all over the country. The purpose of these updates is to inform and activate RESULTS activists to take action on our U.S. poverty campaigns.

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