Giving Tuesday: How you can help others in Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Giving Tuesday is a chance to support your community and your favorite non-profit organizations.
Last year, more than 35 million people and 85 countries are believed to have participated in Giving Tuesday by either donating or volunteering. In Pittsburgh, there are 8,500 non-profit organizations that could use your support.
Millions of Americans open their wallets on Black Friday and Cyber Monday each year. But on the eve of Giving Tuesday, it's all about giving back to those in need.
Emily Francis is the director of the Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership. It works and consults with around 500 of the 8,500 non-profit organizations in the greater Pittsburgh area.
"A lot of nonprofits are often in the position of kind of social service, first-line responders," Francis said.
Giving Tuesday is a one-stop shop for non-profit organizations and individuals who want to support them, including 412 Food Rescue, which rescues food from restaurants, hotels and events and delivers it to food banks and pantries. Other local non-profit organizations include the National Alliance on Mental Illness Pennsylvania, YWCA Greater Pittsburgh and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh.
Francis talked about the needs in the Pittsburgh area and said it is even more important to help out this time of year.
"We are also seeing increase needs for housing, mental health supports, job security," Francis said.
"We know that for the week and a half, two weeks that kids are out of school, they might not have consistent access to food resources," Francis added. "So, this is a time of year when there is a lot of need for food banks or food pantries."
And if you are wondering why give on Giving Tuesday, Francis said many groups offer matching donations.
"This is a huge opportunity to be impactful," Francis said.
