Food Research Action Center Sends Out Alert

Congress is Heading Home: Plan Your Recess Meetings Now 

Mark your calendar for April 8-23 and get ready to meet with your Members of Congress while they are home for an extended recess. 

Face time with Members of Congress is more critical than ever for anti-hunger advocates to successfully push back against efforts to weaken the food and nutrition programs and other safety net programs that support individuals and families in need. Recess provides an opportune time for your Members to hear directly from you and other leaders in your state and community about the important role federal nutrition programs play in improving the lives of their constituents — and what’s at stake if these programs are weakened. 

Send your Members back to Washington with a clear message for their colleagues: No block grants, no structural changes, and no cuts to these proven, effective programs. 

Here are some tips to help you take full advantage of having both your Representatives and Senators back home:

Request a Meeting With Your Members of Congress in District or State Offices. Your Members are much more likely to agree to a meeting if they are able to meet with several groups at once. We suggest involving six to eight local or state groups, and the more diverse your group, the better.  

• Connect with local or state affiliates of the 3,000+ national organizations that signed on to a statement (pdf) urging the president and Congress to safeguard nutrition programs.
• Review FRAC’s Tips for Capitol Hill Visits (pdf), which can also be applied to visits with Members back home. 
• Need help planning your meeting? Contact Kate Sims,ksims@frac.org or Ellen Teller, eteller@frac.org.

Host a Community Call. A community call helps advocates with limited travel budgets join partner organizations and colleagues who are able to meet with Members in person. Or, if your Member of Congress cannot meet in person, scheduling a community conference call may be the next best thing. 

• Check out FRAC’s Community Call Guide (pdf) for helpful tips and ideas for having other organizations support your visit with your Member while they are home on recess.

Organize a Site Visit. Advocates are inviting Members of Congress to visit child nutrition, SNAP, and other nutrition program sites in their state or district. By visiting community-based programs, Members can see firsthand how critical these investments are for children, seniors, and individuals and families in need.

• Find ideas on site visit opportunities (pdf).

Get Vocal on Social.  

• Join FRAC for a special social media campaign throughout recess, using #SaveTheSafetyNet.
• Check out FRAC’s sample social media posts (MSWord document) to help you build a buzz while your Member is back home.
• Share FRAC’s #SaveTheSafetyNet infographic.

Alert the Media. 

• Use this model letter-to-the-editor (MSWord document) to get your Members’ attention in your local and state newspapers.

Additional Resources. For your in-person meetings, use these resources that were available at the anti-hunger policy conference.

• Farm Bill: Congress Must Protect and Strengthen SNAP and Other Anti-Hunger Programs (pdf).
• Fiscal Year 2018 Budget and Appropriations Priorities (pdf).

For other ideas, visit FRAC’s Engage With Your Members page.

We appreciate your hard work and dedication back home and want to amplify your efforts as much as possible here in DC. Please let us know how we can help! ​