California State University, Northridge will participate in Giving Tuesday on Nov. 29, encouraging alumni, faculty, staff, students and community members to give back to the university.

Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration, which takes place the Tuesday after Thanksgiving — and kicks off the holiday charitable giving season. It follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday, two of the most popular shopping days in the calendar year.

There are many ways that people can give back to CSUN, including money, food and time.

To give monetary donations that directly will benefit CSUN and its students, visit givenow.csun.edu. These donations can be directed toward student scholarships or specific departments at CSUN, benefiting the university however the donor wishes.

“Giving Tuesday is a wonderful time when Matadors can take a moment to make a difference,” said Vice President for University Advancement and President of the CSUN Foundation Robert Gunsalus. “Every day there are thousands of CSUN students who are changing their lives for the better through education, many accessing this opportunity because of the generosity of alumni and friends of the university who have funded scholarships. Donations on Giving Tuesday can make a difference for these Matadors and their future.”

People can also donate food to CSUN food pantries to help students coping with food insecurity. There are two food pantries on campus: the Women’s Center Food Pantry and the CSUN Food Pantry, located in the Matador Bookstore complex.

The Women’s Center Food Pantry is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 8 a.m. to noon on Fridays, and its staff can be reached at (818) 677-2780. The CSUN Food Pantry is open from 3 to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays, and its staff can be reached at (818) 677-5111.

“For CSUN, it’s very important that we are part of the process of helping our students succeed,” said Maria Elizondo, coordinator of the CSUN Food Pantry at the Matador Involvement Center. “This is one more resource that is campus supported, and we want to make sure that we are able to provide this to our students.”

To give time, visit Unified We Serve  and Strength United.

Unified We Serve is a campus volunteering organization that helps students further their education by serving the community, and it’s a great place to begin the process of exploring the community and wide array of volunteer opportunities.

Strength United is a CSUN organization that’s based out of the Michael D. Eisner College of Education that provides an interdisciplinary approach to ending abuse and violence through the collaboration of mental health professionals, educators, researchers, students and volunteers.

These are just some of the many ways Matadors can give back and participate in Giving Tuesday.

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