GREENSBORO, N.C. - Giving Tuesday officially kicks off the charitable season.
It's a global giving movement celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, Small Business Saturday, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday in the U.S.
The giving campaign was founded back in 2012 by New York's 92nd Street Y, a cultural and community center, in partnership with the United Nations Foundation.
Americans are encouraged to give to participating organizations and community projects benefiting charitable organizations.
One of the best ways for you to get involved in the giving movement is to give the gift of life.
In a year when disasters have significantly impacted the lives of thousands of people across the country, the American Red Cross is asking everyone to participate in Giving Tuesday by donating blood, volunteering, or giving financially.
"Every day, people turn to the American Red Cross for relief and hope in the face of emergencies," said Gail McGovern, president and CEO, American Red Cross. "Between now and the end of the year, you can help disaster victims at home and around the world, patients who need blood, our country's military families and veterans, and children at risk of deadly diseases like measles and rubella."
Every day, blood donors help patients of all ages, including accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those battling cancer.
In fact, every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood.
The American Red Cross is always in need of more volunteers each and every day.
In fact, volunteers carry out 90% of the humanitarian work of the Red Cross.
Volunteers are needed right now to help with the Camp Fire response efforts in California.
The Red Cross needs help maintaining and setting up sheltering facilities, registering clients, maintaining client information, serving meals, and general housekeeping.
"The Red Cross carried out wide-ranging relief efforts this year to deliver comfort and hope to people affected by crises," McGovern explained. "We serve every county in the U.S., and your gift to the Red Cross is critical to saving lives because generous donations fund nearly 100 percent of our disaster relief activities."
Volunteers are still helping people recover from Hurricane Michael and Hurricane Florence.
The Red Cross has also responded largely this year to other major disasters, such as the volcano in Hawaii.
If you do not have time to give blood or volunteer, you can always donate financially to help provide comfort, hope, and relief to those who need it most.
Every 8 minutes, someone affected by disaster is helped because of generous donations to the Red Cross.
The donations directly help provide people with necessities, such as shelter, food, relief supplies, emotional support, and other assistance.
The American Red Cross is asking the public to "give with meaning" to help diaster victims, veterans, and help internationally.
- Help disaster victims. Your gift of $250 can deliver hot meals for 25 people who need nourishment after a disaster. A donation of $100 can provide a family of two with a full day's worth of emergency shelter with meals, snacks, blankets, a cot and hygiene supplies. Help provide warmth with a gift of $50, which can provide blankets for 10 people.
- Help our veterans. A donation of $125 can help veterans transition back to civilian life by connecting them and their families to critical services such as food, housing, counseling and rehabilitation.
- Help internationally. Your gift of $100 can help provide lifesaving vaccinations for 100 children who face an increased risk of measles and rubella around the world.
To learn more about how you can support people in need on Giving Tuesday through the American Red Cross, click here.