How to help families in need this holiday season on 'Giving Tuesday'

Picking up a few extra gifts on Black Friday or Cyber Monday could help thousands of local families struggling this holiday season.

Giving Tuesday is December 3 this year. It's an international day of charitable giving. 

One of the local non-profits that could use that help this holiday season is Metropolitan Ministries. They say 30,000 households are projected to seek assistance across the Tampa Bay area. That's a 37% increase over last year. 

To help, you can pick up a few donations while you’re already out shopping and take them to a Metropolitan Ministries drop-off location, or make a donation online.

The most needed items include frozen turkeys, hams, cereal, yams, stuffing, canned vegetables, teen girl and boy gifts (ages 13-17) and infant/educational toys. 

LINK: For more information on how to help, go to www.metromin.org/holiday-central/overview