Giving Tuesday – or National Day of Giving – is celebrated every year the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, and serves as a time to give back to our communities and others in need. Giving Tuesday was started in 2012 by a cultural and community center in New York City. It was established in order to bring back focus to what the holidays are all about. Following the commercialized Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday provides people the opportunity to be charitable after scouting for material products.

To commemorate the day, many organizations across Illinois gave back to their communities.

Across the state, countless organizations handed out food products in anticipation of the Thanksgiving holiday. From turkeys, to pumpkin pies and full dinners, thousands of families in Illinois were able to enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving, courtesy of local business and community service-based organizations in their area.

Although Giving Tuesday comes around once a year, it is important to be charitable all-year-round and give back to the community at any given opportunity. Giving back can be simple through volunteering, donating and collaborating with local organizations.

Big or small, any act of kindness goes a long way!