Spirit of giving remains strong despite inflation, non-profits say

It’s that time of year when Americans hunt for the hottest deals at stores and online on "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday."

Following the consumer craze, there’s a push for people to also give back to help people who are less fortunate.

It comes the day after "Cyber Monday," and it’s called "Giving Tuesday."

"Giving Tuesday reminds us that it’s a good idea and an opportunity to step forward a little bit and help a friend or neighbor who you don’t really know but needs your support," said Thomas Mantz, the president and CEO of Feeding Tampa Bay.

READ: Cyber Monday sales expected to grow more than 5% after record-setting Black Friday

It’s coming at a rough time for a lot of families.

Inflation has impacted food, housing costs, gas, and so much more.

"The folks in our community that have been hit with these increased expenses are in a tougher spot than they’ve ever been before, so greater generosity certainly would be wonderful, and we’d love to think that our friends in Tampa will be even more generous than usual," Mantz said.

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Some non-profits went into this holiday season concerned they’d receive fewer donations because of inflation, while demand for their services is at an all-time high.

"Sometimes when the economy is better, folks can be more generous. But it’s interesting, there is a reverse thing that always happens. The tougher it is for people in our community, the more generous others are because everyone looks at it and says, ‘Hey, I understand that right now it’s difficult, therefore I’m going to give more," said Mantz.

Inflation didn’t stop millions of Americans from taking advantage of those "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday" deals, and regardless of the state of the economy, Mantz says the spirit of giving remains strong.

For more information on getting help or making donations to Feeding Tampa Bay, visit: https://feedingtampabay.org/