The holidays are all about giving: giving gifts, giving love, and giving back. While most people know the dates of all the major fall/winter holidays — Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s — many people don’t know about one of the most important holidays of all: Giving Tuesday.
Giving Tuesday, which takes place every year on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, is a movement that focuses on giving back to those in need, whether that’s through charitable donations, volunteering, or just being kind to those around you. Giving Tuesday first started in 2012, and over the past seven years it’s exploded into a worldwide phenomenon. This year, Giving Tuesday takes place on December 3, 2019, and organizations and individuals all over the world plan to participate.
One organization that’s dedicated to making a huge difference this year is T-Mobile. Around the country, more than 37 million people face hunger every day — and families with children are even more likely to struggle with food insecurity. T-Mobile wants to do something to help, so the company has teamed up with Feeding America to provide up to five million meals to Americans in need.
Here’s How It Works
The giving kicks off on Giving Tuesday, December 3, and there are two main ways for folks to connect, get involved, and give back with T-Mobile:
- T-Mobile Customers: Save a Deal, Give a Meal. T-Mobile customers can give up to five meals by saving any of the deals in the T-Mobile Tuesdays app on Giving Tuesday. For every deal saved, T-Mobile will donate a meal to Feeding America. Customers can download the app here.
- Everyone: Every time anyone (including non-T-Mobile customers) tweets with #GivingOnUs, T-Mobile will contribute 10 meals to Feeding America.
In total, via Twitter and the T-Mobile Tuesdays app, T-Mobile plans to donate up to 5 million meals to Feeding America!
Why Giving Back Matters
“Ringing in the holiday season at T-Mobile is ALL about giving back in a BIG way — and this year on Giving Tuesday we’re letting our employees, fans and customers do their giving on us by helping them provide up to 5 MILLION MEALS to people most in need,” said T-Mobile CEO John Legere. “Our hope this season is that more people are able to focus on connecting with their families without having to worry about just getting food on their table.”
By getting employees, Twitter users, and T-Mobile customers involved in the campaign, T-Mobile isn’t just spreading awareness about ending hunger; it’s having a direct impact.
“Everyone has a role to play in ending hunger, whether that’s making a donation, volunteering at a local food bank or using your voice on social media to spread the word,” said Andy Wilson, chief development officer of Feeding America. “We can’t end hunger alone. Individuals, businesses, charities and government entities must all join the fight. We’re tremendously grateful for T-Mobile’s commitment in helping to fight hunger and bringing national attention to this critical issue.”
Other T-Mobile Holiday Giving Efforts
In an effort to encourage people to get involved in their local communities, T-Mobile is also planning to coordinate up to 100 employee volunteer events with local Feeding America-affiliated organizations.
T-Mobile is also empowering its employees to give back to other charitable organizations. In order to support causes all around the country, the T-Mobile Foundation is depositing $25 into every employee’s Giving Account — employees can then donate this money to any charity they feel passionate about. With 52,000 employees, that could mean T-Mobile is giving an additional $1.3 million back to communities in need!
Get Involved
Looking for ways to give back this holiday season? One of the easiest ways to support your community is by using your phone! Use the hashtag #GivingOnUs when you tweet on December 3! And if you’re a T-Mobile customer, save deals in the T-Mobile Tuesdays app! The more deals you save, the more meals you give back to people in need.
Want to get out into your community and give back in a more hands-on way? Check Feeding America for local volunteering opportunities. You can also check in with soup kitchens, food banks, homeless shelters, animal shelters, and religious organizations to ask more about their volunteer opportunities.
Finally, if you have any money to spare, consider donating to charitable organizations in your community.
