Giving Tuesday around the Philadelphia region

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- In the spirit of the holiday season, Giving Tuesday is all about helping those less fortunate: acting generous by volunteering or donating to local organizations.

The Pennsylvania SPCA says Giving Tuesday is a huge day for the 50,000 animals they help each year.

"We see animals that have been starved, abandoned, dog fighting, breeding operations," said Deborah Bowles, chief development officer of the PSCPA. "We go in and investigate cases of cruelty and neglect. Most of those animals, their length of stay is quite long, their medical needs are extensive. So these donations help support all of that emergency medical care that is required."

The GivingTuesday Data Commons estimates that 35 million adults in the US participated in Giving Tuesday last year and raised $2.7 billion.

On Tuesday at Subaru Park in Chester, the Philadelphia Union partnered with the organization Sharing Excess to donate food to those in need.

"Food insecurity is a really big problem across the country but specifically here in Chester," said Allie Gentile, director of community relations for the Philadelphia Union.

"We like to do everything we can to at least save a little bit of that money that a family may be using on a food budget, and rather get that food for free and use it for gifts or supplies for their children," said Evan Ehlers, founder and executive director of Sharing Excess.

6abc partnered with Philabundance in the fight against hunger.

Philabundance serves 135,000 people per week, providing food to people in the Philadelphia five-county region and in four New Jersey counties.

"Every year, 6abc and the Walt Disney Company, our parent, support food banks through Feeding America all over our country," said 6abc President and General Manager Bernie Prazenica.

The 6abc Dunkin' Holiday Food Drive raised $26,386 in donations and Disney gave a $25,000 check for a grand total of more than $50,000.