Let's all join in Giving Tuesday!

                                

By Martin Rand III, CNN

(CNN) -- Thanksgiving usually means family, food, football and, of course, the kickoff of the holiday shopping season with Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

With so much consumption going on, giving back can easily be overlooked. The 92nd Street Y in New York hopes to change that with its social media movement #GivingTuesday.

     #GivingTuesday is not a charity drive to benefit one cause but a call for many organizations and individuals to give to those less fortunate during this time of year, say its organizers. Retailers around the country will host donation drives in stores on Tuesday. Meanwhile, participants with an online presence are soliciting charitable contributions from their social media followers.

     "We began thinking about this around the holidays last year, but work truly began in earnest in the spring," said Henry Timms, spokesman for the community center and the movement's mastermind. "What's been so inspiring is how many organizations and individuals have taken up the charge for #GivingTuesday.