Author: Analise Walker

Seattle Newsletter

Posted on by Analise Walker

Greetings Advocates and Friends,

Quote of the Month:
“If we expand vouchers to all eligible renters and guarantee funding for the program each year, we can virtually end homelessness, reduce racial inequality, and save lives.” –  Steve Arnold, RESULTS Bloomington, IN volunteer, Bloomington Herald Times July 28 letter to the editor

The Seattle Group had a wonderful time at our annual picnic on July 14th. Our group leader, Karen Gielen, hosted the gathering at the Interbay P-Patch where she is an active volunteer. We were having so much fun visiting with each other for the first time in over a year, we completely forgot to take any pictures! We were surrounded by good friends, it was a perfect summer evening with the intoxicating aroma of flowers in bloom and bountiful gardens full of all types of vegetables, many of these fresh vegetables are donated to the local food bank. It was such a lovely space that we plan to hold future group gatherings at the P-patch.

The Seattle Group, along with RESULTS groups around the country, is taking time in August to reflect and refresh. Our volunteers are taking a much-needed respite this month after an outstanding first half of 2021. With over 550 lobby meetings, nearly 300 media pieces, countless calls and e-mails pushing our priorities on housing and child poverty, our volunteers have earned a break.

If, however, you still want actions to take in August, there are things you can do. The Senate is expected to vote on the FY2022 budget resolution before leaving for the August recess (the House has already recessed). The budget resolution sets the framework for the $3.5 trillion reconciliation plan to be finalized this fall. The reconciliation bill is the vehicle to enact the provisions we are seeking, namely expanding Housing Choice Vouchers and the EITC/CTC. Assuming the budget resolution passes the Senate this month, the relevant committees will likely start working out the details post haste. Any action you take can help influence the final package (and know that if you choose to take no action this month, no worries; there will be plenty to do in September).

Both the global and domestic monthly action sheets for August are attached to provide good background information and updates on global vaccines and tools to focus on housing and poverty.

August 2021 Events & Activities
Note: There is no National Webinar and there are no monthly policy forums in August. There is also no Global Poverty Free Agents meeting in August.

NOTE: The Seattle RESULTS Group has resumed in-person meetings. For the foreseeable future we are combining the National Webinar and our Education & Action Meeting. We will meet from 10:00am – 12:30pm on the Saturday of the National Webinar details below.

Thursday, August 5: Regional Coordinator Information Session, 10:00 am PT. Register today. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.

Monday, August 9: Tax Justice for All: Unveiling the Racial Inequity of the U.S. Tax Code,
4:00 pm PT. Presented by NETWORK. Register here.
Join new training on building an equitable tax code. Join our friends at NETWORK, a Catholic social justice lobby, for a new virtual workshop “Tax Justice for All: Unveiling the Racial Inequity of the U.S. Tax Code.” This two-hour training (co-sponsored by RESULTS) will look at how the tax code currently disadvantages women and people of color, and invites you to reimagine a new tax code to build a just and inclusive society. The training will be offered several times in August and September. The first two opportunities are Monday, August 9 at 4:00 pm PT (register for the 8/9 training here) and Wednesday, August 11, 12:00 pm PT (register 8/11 training here).

Wednesday, August 11: Tax Justice for All: Unveiling the Racial Inequity of the U.S. Tax Code, 12:00 pm PT. Presented by NETWORK. Register here.

Thursday, August 12: Quarterly Call-in with Grassroots Board Members, 6:00 pm PT. Join at https://tinyurl.com/QuarterlyGR or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID 96338593060, passcode 1980. Contact Lindsay Saunders with questions.

Tuesday, August 17: U.S. Poverty Free Agents, 5:00 pm PT. If you are interested in joining our U.S. Poverty Free Agents, contact Jos Linn for more information.

Wednesday, August 18: RESULTS Action Network Webinar, 9:30 pm PT. Register today. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.

Wednesday, August 18: RESULTS Action Network Webinar, 5:00 pm PT. Register today. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.

Saturday, Sept 11: RESULTS National Webinar, 10:00am-12:30pm PT. Information about the guest speakers will be in the September newsletter. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.
We will be gathering in person on Saturday, Sept 11 for a combined meeting. After the national webinar (10:00am-11:30am), we will take an additional hour (from 11:30 am – 12:30 pm) to take action and write our letters. Refreshments will be served.
Location: 108 S. Washington St, Suite 400 (the Delmar Building). There is a security panel next to the outside door, use the keypad to dial the Glaser Progress Foundation and you will be let into the building. Take the elevator to the 4th floor. If you have any questions or need assistance call Melessa Rogers – 206-618-1742. For those not able to attend in-person who wish to participate in the letter writing part of our meeting – you can join us by zoom. Contact Melessa for info.

RESULTS Announcements

Become a RESULTS Regional Coordinator. Regional Coordinators (RCs) are vital volunteer leaders in our network, helping to coach and support RESULTS groups around the country to be the best they can be. Have you ever considered becoming a Regional Coordinator? Do you know someone you could encourage to consider the role because you recognize their leadership potential? If you (or others) are interested in the application process for becoming a Regional Coordinator with RESULTS, or are simply interested in learning more about the role, sign up to attend a 30-minute information session on Thursday, August 5 at 10:00 am PT. Registration will end an hour before the session. If you cannot attend or want more information about the application process, please contact Lisa Marchal.

Quarterly call-in with grassroots board members. Join https://tinyurl.com/QuarterlyGR at 6:00 pm PT on Thursday, August 12. You can also dial in to (929) 436-2866, meeting ID 96338593060, passcode 1980. Contact Lindsay Saunders with questions or interest in this opportunity to connect with the grassroots who represent you to the RESULTS Board and leadership.

2021 International Conference materials available. If you need materials from this year’s International Conference, including slides from sessions, visit our Conference Resources page. If you want to listen to the recordings of sessions at the Conference, check out the event schedule for links. Finally, for a dose of nostalgia and solidarity, take a look at this wonderful blogpost and companion video summarizing all that we accomplished together at the International Conference.

RESULTS Organizing and Advocacy Fellowship. The RESULTS Organizing and Advocacy Fellowship application is now open. Young adults ages 20-35 are encouraged to apply. The application closes on October 15. If you have any questions, please email fellowship@results.org. 

Please let me know if you need more information or have questions about any of the material in this newsletter. Also, we hope you are able to join us in person for local events starting in July and that you participate in any events that work with your schedule. Also, please share this newsletter with others you think would be interested.

In closing, it seems we are not out of the woods yet. The virus is mutating and surging in many areas and especially for those not yet vaccinated. Please exercise caution and follow emerging CDC guidelines as we grapple with containing and getting this pandemic fully under control. And, as always, be kind and help others when the opportunity arises.

Thanks so much for your partnership. Together we are building a better world.
Melessa Rogers
RESULTS Volunteer
206-618-1742 (mobile)
melessa@glaserprogress.org

Karen N. Gielen
RESULTS Seattle Group Leader
206-282-7165 (fixed)
206-920-7860 (mobile)
kngielen@mindspring.com

Help create the public and political will to end hunger and the worst aspects of poverty: www.results.org
Also, check us out on Facebook at RESULTS Seattle.

Note: Washington State RESULTS Groups have launched a statewide website – www.resultswa.org that will provide resources and information for Washington RESULTS volunteers. Analise Walker has volunteered to maintain the site. Please let us know any comments or suggestions you might have for the website.3 Attachments

Seattle March Newsletter compiled by Melessa Rogers

Posted on by Analise Walker

Quote of the Week:

Imagine childhood poverty cut in half. These tax credits have the power to do just that, and citizens have the power to make sure it passes! – Willie Dickerson’s letter in the Columbia Gorge News, Feb. 24, 2021.

“The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.” I came across this quote and thought how it could apply to any of the seemingly insurmountable issues threatening our planet. For those of us addressing hunger and poverty this quote would read: The best time to end hunger and poverty was twenty, thirty, or fifty years ago. The second best time is now.

In 1980 RESULTS Founder, Sam Daley-Harris was encouraged and motivated to start our organization from reading the 1977 World Food and Nutrition Study prepared for President Gerald Ford on steps needed to lessen the grim prospect that future generations of peoples around the world will be confronted with chronic shortages of food and with the debilitating effects of malnutrition. The study found that “overcoming the problems of widespread hunger and malnutrition in the world and greatly increasing food availability at reasonable cost will be extremely complex endeavors, requiring action along many lines, there is reason to be hopeful, nevertheless. This report concludes that, given the political will here and abroad, it should be possible, by the end of this century, to eliminate most of the hunger and malnutrition now associated with mass poverty.”

So here we are in 2021 and RESULTS, in partnership with many other organizations, has played a vital role in cutting poverty by more than 50% in the past forty years. Though good progress has been made, there is much work ahead to reach the ultimate milestone for humankind of ending hunger and poverty.

Since the launch of our First 100 Days Campaign on February 6th the COVID Relief bill has passed in the House and has now moved to the Senate for debate and a vote. Dr. Joanne Carter, RESULTS Executive Director, made clear the significance of the opportunity at hand; “I truly believe in the 40-year history of RESULTS, we may never have had more consequential 100 days, or more consequential opportunity to meet with Congress, to build relationships, and to help ensure the bold action needed.” RESULTS advocates heeded the call and are hard at work building strong relationships with the Biden Administration and our Members of Congress and setting a long term agenda on poverty, racial wealth inequality, tax, global education, nutrition, and more.

We are committed to working with Congress through the budget appropriations process to ensure these vital programs are funded. RESULTS grassroots around the country are meeting with congressional offices and pushing for an equitable global response to the pandemic, new housing relief, and a package of tax and anti-poverty policies that together would cut child poverty in the United States in half.

Washington State RESULTS volunteers have already met with the offices of Sen. Patty Murray, Sen. Maria Cantwell, Rep. Jamie Herrera Beutler, Rep. Derek Kilmer, Rep. Marilyn Strickland, Rep. Adam Smith, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal. Meetings are scheduled or in the works with the offices of Rep. Kim Schrier, Rep. Suzan Delbene and Rep. Rick Larsen. Let us know if you are interested in participating in any of these meetings. We know the time to act is NOW!