Volunteer Outreach Toolkit
This will be the library of materials volunteers can download and use when tabling or representing ACS CAN at events. If you have suggestions for needed materials, please reach out to Becca at [email protected] or Anthony at [email protected]. We will be adding materials as they become available.
Sign up to be an ACS CAN Legislative Ambassador
Volunteer outreach e-mail templates
Federal Volunteer Activities
Your story is our superpower and we need you to tell your story more than ever. If you have a Medicaid, Enhanced Premium Tax Credit or cancer research story to share and are willing to record it, please check out this Medicaid story collection flyer and use the QR code to link to a page to easily share your story with us today.
1) April recess activity : During the upcoming Congressional recess, April 11—25, 2025, we are asking volunteers to attend any in-district town hall meetings, either in-person or virtually, ask one of the templated questions that ACS CAN has crafted, and make sure to follow up via social media following the event, even if your question was not asked.
2) Postcards to Protect Medicaid activity: Throughout the spring, we are asking volunteers to collect and deliver postcards to federal lawmakers urging them to protect Medicaid. Our goal for this activity is to put pressure on lawmakers to protect Medicaid by showing how advocates across the country care deeply about protecting Medicaid. We want to visually show this by posting photos on social media of people across the country completing postcards asking their lawmakers to protect Medicaid. Our primary goal is to amplify our efforts over social media by sharing images of volunteers writing, collecting, and delivering postcards to showcase our power!
How to get postcards:
- your staff partner can order one of our ACS CAN “protect Medicaid postcards” and have it shipped to you.
- You can purchase postcards that reflect your town, city, or state. If you choose this option, please use the following message on the postcards:
- Cancer patients can’t afford cuts to Medicaid. Seniors can’t afford cuts to Medicaid. Working families can’t afford cuts to Medicaid. We’re counting on you.
Timeline for delivering: Postcards should be delivered to DC or local offices by early June
- Ideas for completing postcards:
- Bring postcards to a cancer support group, Relay for Life events, the Hope Lodge, etc. to get them filled out
- Are you involved in a local organization, church group, sports team, etc.? Ask these contacts if they would be interested in completing postcards with you!
- Have other ideas? Please reach out and we can discuss your idea!
- Postcard Delivery Options: We have a couple of different options for postcard delivery, which we can discuss as a team and come to consensus on;
- Collect completed postcards in state and bulk ship them to the DC office for delivery.
- Organize a local delivery of postcards to an in-district office, this could be in collaboration with a Medicaid or access to care coalition
3) Continue in-district meetings: If you were unable to meet with your member of congress (or staff) during the February recess period, please continue to make outreach to try and secure a meeting. February Materials
4) Continue to build co-sponsorship for the Medicare Multi Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act (MCED). We are aiming to get all previous co-sponsors from last year onto the newly introduced bill. Here is the letter and script.
On Monday, May 6, 2024, the American Cancer Society (ACS) proudly began the launch of the VOICES of Black Women® study, the largest behavioral and environmental focused population study of cancer risk and outcomes in Black women in the United States. In New York, we have a goal of enrolling 6,667 Black women to be a part of this nationwide cohort.
This study is open to Black women aged 25-55, who have never been diagnosed with cancer, except for basal or squamous cell skin cancer, who live in one of the 20 enrollment states, of which New York is one of them. Please help us spread the word and share the link to those you know who may qualify - https://voices.cancer.org/
NY Rural Volunteer Caucus
Mission:
Our focus group seeks to make sure that the needs of rural New Yorkers are reflected in ACS CAN-NY activities by:
- Identifying rural communities burdened by cancer and understanding needs (LISTENING)
- Meeting and joining with partners across the state (ENGAGING)
- Carrying ACS CAN messaging to rural New York (REACHING OUT)
If you are interested in this work and would like to join, please email Marcia Earle at [email protected].