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Omaha gives on #GivingTuesday

Posted at 5:23 PM, Dec 01, 2015
and last updated 2015-12-01 18:23:30-05

All across Omaha Tuesday, giving was simple. Simple as a hashtag. 

Giving Tuesday is still a relatively new thing. Start in 2012 by a YMCA in New York, it's taken on as but a movement to to turn holiday shopping into holiday giving.

At Sienna Francis house, giving was as simple as a snip. A local salon sent volunteers to give homeless men and women free haircuts. 

As Sam and Louis's, it's as simple as a slice. They're donating a portion of every bill to the Salvation Army. It's one of many things the Salvation Army is doing for #gt or #givingtuesday.

"We send two vans to feed people in the winter months, that goes from now to the end of February. We also got opportunities you can give food today. The fire fighters are starting a great food drive with us and you can take food to any fire station in Omaha," Major Greg Thompson with the Salvation Army said.

For Chris Hardesty, who owns Jackson's Boxing Club, it was as simple as a sack or seven. The community youth boxing club owner held a coat drive. Kids, many of them with little themselves gave coats to help others with less.

"The parents they do what they can. A lot of them come from poor families, some of them don't but either way I just believe the only way we're able to receive is if we give, we got give first," Hardesty said.Jacksons Boxing Club 

"I could never raise enough money to provide the 1/2 a million meals that we're going to provide this year, or coats for the thousands of men and women and kids that show up each year. And this network and this community, the support of the community is tremendous," Mike Salkar with the Sienna Francis House said.