Contact:                         
Mary Graham
United Ways of Tennessee
615-495-9970
Mary.graham@uwtn.org              

MEDIA ADVISORY—LAUNCH EVENT

United Ways of Tennessee to Release Groundbreaking Study that Reveals Size and Scope of Financial Hardship Across Tennessee

WHO: United Ways of Tennessee (UWTN) leaders; national, regional, and local research experts; and families struggling to stay afloat in middle Tennessee.

WHAT: UWTN invites media representatives, policymakers, volunteers,partners, and the public to attend the official launch of our latest groundbreaking ALICE report that provides a comprehensive picture of financial need across our state, beyond just traditional federal poverty guidelines.

WHY: UWTN has partnered with United For ALICE, which developed a series of standardized measurements that quantify the size of who in Tennessee’s workforce is struggling financially,and the reasons why.

UWTN will introduce the latest data on ALICE, which stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, and represents households that are working but cannot afford the basic necessities of housing, food,childcare, health care, transportation and a smartphone. The ALICE Report will provide county-by-county and town-level data on the extent of financial instability among households.

WHEN: 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. Central Time on April 26, 2023. You can watch beginning at 9:30 a.m. Central/10:30 a.m. Eastern on Facebook Live at https://www.facebook.com/UnitedWaysTN. Media will receive advanced access to the report on an embargoed basis at least one week prior. To request advanced access, please email mary.graham@uwtn.org. 

WHERE: Tennessee Bankers Association, Training Center Room A, 211 Athens Way, Nashville, TN, 37228 OR email mary.graham@uwtn.org to receive a zoom link.

About United Ways of Tennessee
United Ways of Tennessee (UWTN) is the association of 30 United Ways, coming together for collective action to fight for the health, education, and financial stability of everyone living in our state. As Tennessee’s leading community solutions provider, we are the driving force behind many initiatives that provide solutions to our state’s most critical needs. 

Wednesday, March 15, is the official Day-on-the-Hill for United Waysof Tennessee in partnership with Boys and Girls Club of Tennessee, Savethe Children, and the Tennessee Afterschool Network. We need you to joinus to help us educate our Tennessee State Legislators and make animpact for afterschool and Tennessee families. 

Logistics

First and foremost, please save the date!  March 15th will be acollaborative hill day for United Ways of TN (UWTN), TN AfterschoolNetwork (TAN), Boys and Girls Clubs, and Save the Children!  We will bemeeting on the House floor in the Capitol Building from 9-10:30.  Here’sa link to parking options parking near cordell hull building – Google Search. Doleave yourself plenty of time to park, walk, and get through security. To find information on your local legislators, visit http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/Apps/fmlv3/districts.aspx.  Please arrive no later than 8:30 a.m. Central so you can get through the security checks in time to reach our destination. 

RSVP

Please email Mary Graham (mary.graham@uwtn.org)to let her know who is attending from your area (name, organization,email).  We encourage you to come, as well as to recruit/bring staff,volunteers, affinity group members, and partners who are passionateabout our issues.  We also encourage you to coordinate with neighboringorganizations that are coming who share the same legislator(s). 

Awards

UWTN and TAN will be providing Legislative Champion awards to Sen.Page Walley and Rep. Mark White for sponsoring our successful Handlewith Care legislation last session.  If any of these legislators areunable to attend, we will make arrangements for you to deliver thempersonally at a later time.  Boys and Girls Clubs and Save the Childrenwill also have awards, and the final one is for a youth, so please doplan to stay through 10:30 A.M. so all feel appropriately lauded.  

Appointments

Schedule your appointments in advance, and please make them for no earlier than 10:45 A.M. so we have a big crowd for awards and photos. You can find contact info for your legislators here Senators – TN General Assembly and here Representatives – TN General Assembly  There are lots of new faces this session, so you may also find this link helpful: Find My Legislator – TN General Assembly

Virtual/distanced participation (for adults and kids)

While there will not be a hybrid option for this event, you cansupport these efforts from a distance if unable to make it in-person. You can send an email with correspondence and materials, schedule aphone visit or zoom, and participate in helping us distribute socialmedia content on Hill Day (social media messaging will come your way onMarch 6).  We also encourage organizations serving children and youth toengage them in the process.  Pull up their legislators on screen andshare some info about them with the students.  Ask them to email theirlegislators or tag them on social media with a supportive statementabout why afterschool programming matters to them.  Last hill day, wehad 14 afterschool programs doing so – even sending legislators videos,cards, and beyond.  It’s a great way to engage them in civicresponsibility.

Materials

Click Here for "Hill Day Resources"

We will be providing all attendeeswith leave-behinds/talking points on afterschool and on the promisingfutures legislation, which provides scholarships for early childcare. United Way folks will also receive materials on 2-1-1, and B&GC andSave the Children will also have some materials unique to their ownorganizations’ issues.  Mary will circulate UWTN and TAN materials inadvance, as well. We encourage you to also bring local materials,especially outcomes, 211 data, etc., as well as “chotchkies” to giveyour legislators (e.g. a t-shirt, mug or other give away–items thatstick around on desks or will be worn or carried around are ideal).  Wewill not have our new ALICE data in time for hill day, but look forinformation on legislative outreach around that report’s release inApril. 

Questions/prep

Questions or want a little more support?  Mary is here to support you, so please don’t hesitate to reach out.