Entering its sixth year, #GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration.

Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. Since its inaugural year in 2012, #GivingTuesday has become a movement that celebrates and supports giving and philanthropy with events throughout the year and a growing catalog of resources.

We’ve reached out to our nonprofit posse to find out what they’re up to this #GivingTuesday. We hope you’ll take a moment to learn more about these organizations and, of course, take a moment to make a meaningful gift that helps our community each and every day.

Community Crossroads Food Network

Crossroads Community Food Network is building a healthier, more inclusive food system in our community. At the heart of this integrated network of food growers, makers, and consumers is Crossroads Farmers Market, where nutrition incentives make healthy food more affordable and at the same time helps support local farmers and vendors — 3/4 of whom are immigrants themselves.

Founded in 2007 as a seasonal farmers market, Crossroads originated the idea of using private funds to double federal nutrition benefits like SNAP and WIC when residents use them to buy fresh fruits and vegetables at the market. Crossroads also encompasses community-based healthy eating education, as well as microenterprise training for small-scale food business entrepreneurs and a new community kitchen geared toward helping them succeed. By touching on all these vital components of a sustainable local food system, Crossroads is helping an underserved community attain food equity and self-sufficiency.

Art Stream, Inc. – Catalogue for Philanthropy Challenge Recipient!

Few theatres provide challenging arts opportunities for adults with disabilities and fewer still encourage them to be artists as well as audience members. ArtStream’s six Inclusive Theatre Companies invite actors with intellectual and developmental disabilities to collaborate with theater professionals and trained volunteer mentors to develop and present original musical theatre productions. Participants can also take theatre-based classes to boost self-confidence and strengthen communications and social skills. And the arts can heal, just as they can educate and entertain, so ArtStream brings highly-trained artists into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center: wounded service members, their families, and caregivers channel pain and trauma into creative work, while arts-based activities build resilience and morale among hospital personnel. Partnerships with schools, community organizations, and others ensure that adults and children can access the arts in a way that is meaningful, powerful, and healing. Your contribution makes it happen.

Shepherd’s Table – $2500 Donor Match!

Shepherd’s Table’s mission is to provide help to people who are homeless or in need by providing basic services, including meals, social services, medical support, clothing, and other assistance in an effective and compassionate manner. Since 1983, Shepherd’s Table has been a necessary and effective resource welcoming and serving those in need within Silver Spring, and is supported by volunteers, religious organizations, government, businesses, foundations, and individual donors. We build upon our successful strategy to make the community a better place for our clientele and others to live, work, and operate a business. All are welcome here. 

Passion for Learning – Catalogue for Philanthropy Challenge Recipient!

Passion 4 Learning helps middle school students develop the skills they need for a 21st Century knowledge-based economy and technology-rich global society. Through digital learning our youth inquire, create, collaborate, problem solve, communicate and engage with the world.

Find your passion! That is the rallying cry of Passion for Learning, Inc (P4L) which helps middle school youth develop 21st century tech skills that prepare them for high school, college, and beyond! P4L strives to close the opportunity gap through interactive and dynamic technology and college readiness programs. Each year we serve students in some of the lowest income census tracts in Montgomery County. Focusing on the pivotal middle school years, P4L’s programs at 8 MCPS middle schools engage and excite over 150 students annually.

GRRL Tech (Girls really Really Love Technology) sparks girls’ interests in career paths where they are traditionally underrepresented; Games.Inc combines coding and video game design with essential literacy skills. The popular Dig.Lit program introduces youth to the vast and growing digital communications industry with projects in info-graphics, web design, coding, video shorts, and animation. Code Squad helps students develop hands-on circuitry, HTML coding and physical computing skills.

Each summer, our Go2College camps take things to the next level by leading students (and their parents) in creating higher education plans and exploring college campuses. All of our programs are absolutely free of charge to students. With your donation we can help more youth find a passion for learning and pursue future education and careers in STEM. We strive to use the power of cutting-edge technology to stimulate and empower our youth to reach for their dreams!

Friends of the Silver Spring Library

Friends of the Library, Silver Spring Chapter (FOLSS), is an all-volunteer organization of people who care about our library. FOLSS raises money to augment public funding for programs, materials, and equipment at the Silver Spring Library. We raised funds to pay for the state-of-the-art Early Literacy Center on the Silver Spring Library’s fifth floor; we also fund programming for Summer Reading, Library Lovers’ Month, and various other teen and adult programs during the year. Every dollar of donated funds goes directly to programming, materials, and services that benefit our local community.

A Wider Circle – $10,000 DONOR MATCH! 

A Wider Circle’s efforts focus on the provision of basic need items, workforce development, wraparound support, and neighborhood revitalization. These four components work in concert to create lasting change in the lives of those we serve. A Wider Circle says no to nobody! Anyone in need of help can find it here. In addition to all of the individuals and families that call us, more than 500 government, social service, and nonprofit agencies regularly contact us for help in serving their clients.

Silver Spring Village

The mission of Silver Spring Village is to build and sustain a supportive network of neighbors helping neighbors remain in their own homes and be engaged in their community as they age.

Our Village service area is ZIP code 20910, encompassing Silver Spring’s commercial core and the neighborhoods that surround it.  Residents of that area may join as Full or Associate Members.  On a case-by-case basis, we also accept as Full Members people who live very close to 20910.  Associate Membership is available regardless of ZIP code.

Residents of various close-in Silver Spring neighborhoods serve on a volunteer basis on the board of directors and on the board’s committees.  Our (part-time) Executive Director develops strategies and plans and, together with our (part-time) Director of Volunteer Services and many volunteers, ensures their implementation.