Relationships

Tinder's #IMAVAILABLE Campaign Is An Easy Way To Support Those In Need On Giving Tuesday

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Listen up, pals. If you thought you could coast into the holiday season after overdosing on turkey and stuffing at Thanksgiving, you've got it all wrong. You've essentially got the holy trinity of forgotten mini holidays before then: Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and, of course, Giving Tuesday. Yes, after snagging all those great deals on things you totally only bought for yourself (#noshame), it's time to give back to those in need. And if you're wondering what you can do to help people today, on this Giving Tuesday, you can actually donate with Tinder's #IMAVAILABLE campaign, which just launched today.

OK, OK, let me backtrack a little bit here. I know you thought Tinder was only for swiping to meet new people and stuff, but they're actually committed to helping give back to those in need. And helping Tinder in giving back today requires literally a minuscule amount of effort on your part. I know, I know. "Theresa, I want to give back, but I just spent all my money yesterday on a blender that I really don't need." Don't worry, I feel you. However, even if you're low on cash, the #IMAVAILABLE campaign is still the perfect way for you to show you're able to help those in need... with your time.

Here's the lowdown: All you need to do to participate is to share the hashtag "#IMAVAILABLE" in addition to "@Tinder" on any of your social media pages. This lets your community know that just as you're available to swipe all the livelong day on Tinder to meet someone new, you're also available to give your time to someone who needs it, whether that's by helping a friend with a difficult chore or volunteering to help your community in some way. The best part? For every person who shares the hashtag, Tinder will donate $100 (reaching up to $200,000) to DoSomething.org, a non-profit organization helping young people support pretty much any charitable cause imaginable.

Literally, it's the easiest possible way to help people this Giving Tuesday. You can do it from your couch, in your sweats, watching your 19th consecutive episode of Law & Order: SVU. Isn't that the dream? Well, if you're feeling like you want to double up on your donations (you know, in addition to your time), you can also head to Tinder's #IMAVAILABLE campaign site, where you can donate directly to DoSomething.org yourself. Just a few of the causes you'd be helping by donating? Working against gun violence, defending dreamers by supporting DACA, helping those still affected by damage from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, and more. You can also do this from your couch, in your sweats, watching your 19th consecutive episode of Law & Order: SVU. If this isn't easy enough for you, I don't know what to tell you.

The holidays are an incredibly important time to help those in need so that everyone has the opportunity to experience joy this holiday season. While you might think the only meaningful way for you to help those in need is through grand gestures or millions of dollars, you'll be surprised at how far simply making yourself available to those who might need you can go. So go ahead and briefly pause your regular Twitter timeline scroll to tweet #IMAVAILABLE and help Tinder and DoSomething.org help others. If you're reading this, you're available, and you have the time.

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