* Vox on the history of Giving Tuesday…

Giving Tuesday — the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving and the internationally recognized day to contribute to charity — is upon us.

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, has always been the kickoff event of the holiday shopping season and one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Marketing experts recognized how popular it was and followed it up with Cyber Monday, a second day of mega-sales focused on online shopping, and then Small Business Saturday — making the period after Thanksgiving famous for its blitz of deals.

Some people noticed that would likely leave a lot of people looking to step away from shopping and do something a little more meaningful.

In 2012, the 92nd Street Y in New York and the United Nations Foundation introduced Giving Tuesday with the hope that after several days of big sales and rampant consumption, there’d be interest in giving back.

* We raise money here during the holiday season for Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, the largest foster care provider in Illinois. I was initially exposed to LSSI by a friend who ran a group home for troubled teens in Chicago and was immediately impressed at how the home was so full of love. My friend, the late Lynn Greenholdt, then went on to start a small business supplying home-style meals to group homes. But late state payments made her life a constant struggle. When I came up with the idea of a 50th birthday party to raise money for a good cause, LSSI was a natural choice and our efforts continue to this day.

The money we raise provides Christmas gifts to foster kids. LSSI says $25 is the average cost of a present. While some of our contributions are on the larger side, every contribution is deeply appreciated. If all you can afford is $25, rejoice in the knowledge that you’ve just bought a present for a foster child in need. So, please, click here and give what you can. Thanks!