Hey there, it’s Tuesday — but not just any Tuesday.
Today is Giving Tuesday, a global movement that encourages folks to give their time, money, and talents to causes and organizations they care about.
2020 is a historically difficult year, and many of us have already stepped up to share what we can. Today, we’re encouraging you to double down on those efforts and consider new ways to get involved and make a difference in your community — not just today but throughout the month and into 2021.
Keep scrolling for a list of ways to commemorate Giving Tuesday in Pittsburgh. Have other ideas to share? We’d love to hear them. Let us know by emailing us here.
🛍️ Stock the shelves at our local shelters and food banks. Winter is a time when many service providers run low on basic necessities. Looking to help? Here are a few options:
• Donate time or money to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank here. They’ve distributed more than a million pounds of food during this pandemic, and that work continues. And there are plenty of food pantries you can assist, many of them on this extensive list of Pittsburgh-area providers.
• There’s also plenty of need at Pittsburgh-area shelters, including the Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh and the shelters for our houseless neighbors found here.
• Four-legged friends also need help, and Animal Friends — a four-star charity — is a great place to start.
• You can also search for your favorite local org or nonprofit on Amazon’s Smile Charity List. For example, this list from the Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh allows you to buy them items they need, like baby wipes, clothing, and more.
💸 Put your money where your mouth is. COVID-19 hasn’t just been tough for local businesses; the resulting economic downturn has also hit nonprofits, arts organizations, and other groups that rely on the generosity of our community. If you’re able to donate money to a cause you care about, now is a great time to do so. Start here:
• Check out The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council’s Emergency Fund for Artists.
• And don’t forget nonprofits providing social services, like Jewish Family and Community Services and Rainbow Kitchen Community Services, those doing grassroots community work, like Operation Better Block in Homewood and Pittsburgh United, and so many more.
• You can also support groups like The Poise Foundation, which supports a litany of local nonprofits and service providers focused on Pittsburgh’s African American community.
💪 Volunteer if you feel safe doing so. The pandemic has forced many orgs to cut back or modify their volunteer opportunities, but there are still lots of ways to help out — and keep your distance.
• There are a ton of opportunities we recently spotted on the United Way website, including a list of orgs with urgent needs around food.
• You can also donate to the United Way’s Basic Needs Fund, the Pittsburgh Foundation’s Emergency Action Fund, and the United Way’s Students and Families Food Relief Fund.
• And let’s not forget the In Service of Seniors program, which we wrote about in May, and The Wellness Collective, whose “Community Delivery Hotline” we wrote about in April.
🏘️ Look for the need in your own backyard. Maybe you have an immunocompromised neighbor who needs help grocery shopping, or an elderly relative who’s missing out on social interaction, or a friend who could use some cheering up.
• Many of the usual ways to show you care are still in play: Pick up the phone, send an encouraging message, or drop something off.
• PS: Don’t forget about the city’s Snow Angel program. You can sign up here to help shovel for elderly neighbors or contact the Snow Angels Program at snowangels@pittsburghpa.gov or 412-255-0846 for more information.
📰 Support local journalists. Look, we’d be remiss not to mention that this pandemic has hit local news outlets like ours especially hard. If you don’t already pay for your news, now is a great time to start. Subscribe to a newspaper (digital counts!). Donate to public radio. And if you still have a little bit left over, consider becoming an Incline Insider.