The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is giving thanks this holiday season.

The NAACP will hold its annual Thanksgiving dinner at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Grant Towers North’s lower-level basement.

Students are invited to attend, but are asked to bring a canned good. The dinner benefits homeless families from Hope Haven.

Shavonne Tompkins, vice president of programming and activities, has been involved with the NAACP for the last two years. She believes the Thanksgiving dinner is a good opportunity to show appreciation.

“The Thanksgiving dinner helps people realize how fortunate we are,” Tompkins said. “To have a loving family, a place to call home and mostly importantly, family and friends to break bread with.”

The NAACP holds various other events throughout campus, like the Martin Luther King Jr. March in January and Unity Day in April. The organization also holds various other panel discussions on police and safety.

Tompkins is in the process of asking other student organizations to help during the holidays.

“We ask various student organizations and corporations to donate time, money, and/or food to help with our cause,” she said.

Co-chairing the Thanksgiving dinner is Tania Gordon.

Gordon believes it is a good opportunity to help less-fortunate families, as well as give students an opportunity to take part in a good deed.

“We are sponsoring families that do not get a chance to be exposed to a family environment of having turkey and Thanksgiving dinner,” Gordon said. “Getting students involved in this is something that is very good.”