Created in 2012, Giving Tuesday was designed to encourage people to open their hearts and their wallets to nonprofit organizations and agencies in their community.

Tiffany Claus has shopped at the Olean Food Pantry for the last 12 years to supplement what she buys at the grocery store to feed her family of three and help make ends meet. 

"Even though income goes up, prices of everything goes up. It helps put more food on my table for my family," said Claus.

She is one of hundreds of clients who shop the pantry on a weekly basis, as the need has doubled in the last three years and is up 3% over last year. That's why monetary donations on Giving Tuesday, together with grants from FeedMore Western New York, gives the pantry four to five times the buying power to get what it needs. 

"There's a lot of people in this community who face hunger. And if everybody's fed, everybody tends to be happier and tends to be less bad things happening in the community," said David Potter, the president of Olean Food Pantry.

The pantry — one of more than 2,000 across the state — is also in the midst of a million-dollar campaign, which leaders say is gaining momentum thanks in part to a $25,000 grant from an anonymous donor.

"I'm very encouraged by it. Our biggest goal is to be out of business, which is not going to happen, unfortunately, so where here to make sure people aren't hungry," said Potter.

Claus also works at the pantry as the food manager, to help give back and feed a community from a place that helps feed her.

"For whatever their circumstances may be, it kind of gives us chills down our spine," she said.

She hopes the circumstances will prompt others to donate throughout the day and season.

"We can't survive without food. To know that there's that many families that need the help, our help, to feed them, to make sure that they have a nice holiday meal and stuff like that is very rewarding," said Claus.