CINCINNATI — While the shopping calendar continues to add Black Fridays and Cyber Mondays, Giving Tuesday is intended to get people in tune with the reasons for the season and help those who are hungry and in need.
Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement that provides area charities with valuable donations.
Between the pandemic and rising inflation, local non-profits report more people are turning to them for help. For a lot of families, this is the first time they have needed assistance.
Santa Maria Community Services has been bombarded with demand. It provides numerous services including help with childcare, assistance for adults returning to school for their GED, employment, teaching English while and working with at-risk youth at Oyler School.
President & CEO H.A. Musser said Santa Maria usually serves about 2,500 to 3,000 families a year. In the last year, Musser expects the numbers will show they will have served 10,000 families this year. The non-profit has been a staple in communities like Price Hill and the West Side since 1897. Last year, those communities pushed them over a fundraising record.
"Donors were very, very generous,” Musser says. “We had our largest fundraising year ever during 2020 and that was really because folks knew we were on the ground helping families and they wanted to put their resources to work here.”
Santa Maria is a United Way partner. Musser said a $200,000 grant in 2020 helped them assist families with rent and food.
If giving money isn’t in the budget this year, consider donating your time.
The Salvation Army still needs volunteers for its Red Kettle Campaign and Hoxworth Blood Center needs donations at the holidays to serve more than 30 Tri-State hospitals.
Another great way to involve your kids in giving back is Toy Team 9. WCPO is once again partnering with 9 local agencies to make sure kids have gifts to open on Christmas morning.
