Central Texas residents can support their favorite local nonprofits on Giving Tuesday on Dec. 2.

How it works: Giving Tuesday is celebrated on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and is focused on showing radical generosity. People are encouraged to engage with, volunteer or donate to a local cause they care about. 

Get involved: For the ninth consecutive year, I Live Here I Give Here will accept donations on Giving Tuesday for various nonprofits in the Central Texas area through its Amplify ATX website. The online platform allows Central Texans to explore giving opportunities, learn about their impact and donate to organizations where they live.

Funds may be directed to a specific nonprofit or donated to the Amplify Fund, which helps support all participating nonprofits in Austin and Central Texas, according to I Live Here I Give Here.

The background: Giving Tuesday was started by a New York-area nonprofit in 2012 and has since spread to over 150 countries, with 34 million people participating globally last year.

Austin leaders voted to extend a housing financing tool into several neighborhoods home to higher shares of lower-income residents, with the aim of bringing more affordable homes and apartments to those areas.

Under state law, cities can designate Homestead Preservation Districts, or HPDs, in targeted areas with higher rates of poverty and lower median incomes. After a district is established, financing tools like tax increment financing or land banking can be used to support local affordable housing development.

After recent City Council action, officials voted this fall to double the share of tax revenue set aside under Austin's original HPD on the east side, which supported several housing complexes. They also designated three new districts in North Central and Southeast Austin as well as in the West Campus area for future low-income housing. Financing tools in those neighborhoods could be set up next year.

Looking for volunteer opportunities in your community? Check out our list of local nonprofits to Southwest Austin and Dripping Springs that are seeking volunteers this season.

Cheba Hut has opened a new sandwich shop in Easton Park, near Circuit of The Americas.

The details: This is the third Austin-area shop helmed by franchisee Joe DeMaioribus. The space features a bar and a mural by Austin art duo Candy & FISH that pays tribute to the Austin airport, COTA and Cottonmouth Creek.

On the menu: Cheba Hut offers signature sub sandwiches, and "munchies" such as french onion soup, garlic cheese bread and "not-chos," the restaurant's take on nachos. Patrons can also order a signature cocktail to pair with their sandwich.

Quote of note: “Easton Park is our kind of playground—close to COTA, easy to find and full of chill,” DeMaioribus said in a news release. “This shop is built for homies who know the vibe."

• 7101 E. William Cannon Drive, Austin