The Christmas season is the perfect time to spread love and light, and a meaningful way to do so is through one of many Light the World Giving Machines. Giving Machines are a unique way to spread love and light either in your community or a faraway country. In collaboration with numerous charitable organizations, the Giving Machines campaign is now in its seventh season and makes charitable giving as easy as buying a candy bar or soda.
Holiday givers can use the vending machines to purchase items ranging from chickens and goats, blankets, hygiene kits or solar lamps to a hot meal for someone in need, polio vaccines, school desks or even a community well. This season, the red Giving Machines are located in 41 U.S. cities, an increase from 22 in 2022, and 14 international locations. The theme of this year’s Light the World Christmas initiative is “Let Your Light Shine.”
Elder Buckner, with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said, “We invite you also to recognize the power of this globally, as we will see Giving Machines in the Philippines and Mexico, Australia, Canada, and around the globe.” He added that at a time when the “world desperately needs light,” the combined efforts of the Giving Machines bring people together. He said, “We hope that you will take the simplicity of a machine that we all are familiar with and embrace not only the opportunity to participate but invite others to join in.”
Top leaders from 10 national or international charities like UNICEF, American Red Cross, CARE, WaterAid, International Development Enterprises, Church World Service, African Girls Hope Foundation, Mentors International, Lifting Hands International and Catholic Charities, offered brief remarks before “unwrapping” the machines and making them available for charitable giving.
Michael J. Nyenhuis, president and CEO of UNICEF USA, said at a time of great division, “In our country and the world, this is an effort that is really pulling people together.” Emily Haile, director of marketing and engagement for WaterAid America, said the Giving Machines make giving fun and easy. “I think sometimes people don’t know where to give or how to give or how much to give. And this is something you can do with your whole family.”
Grace Nkundabantu, founder and CEO of African Girls Hope Foundation, said the Giving Machines are small and simple but deliver “great hope” for many. Carly Callister brought her two young children to the Giving Machine event. She said, “We do it every year. It is a fun family tradition.” The machines help her children, including 2-year-old Alice, who selected a chicken from the Giving Machines, come to understand that Christmas is a “season of giving,” said Callister.
The Church organizes the annual effort as an easy way for people to make donations to vetted local and global charities during the holidays. All transactions benefit charities not associated with the Church, which covers all operational costs, including credit card fees, ensuring that 100 percent of every donation goes to the giver’s desired charitable cause.
In 2022, donations to Giving Machines provided 2.2 million meals; 31 million water purification tablets (enough to purify 3.9 million gallons of water); vaccinations for 517,000 children; 41,000 chickens; school supplies for 28,000 children; 25,000 ducks; safe shelter for 3,400 people; scholarships for 3,000 children and teens; shoes, socks and warm winter clothing for 35,000 children and adults; 3,800 beehives; and the protection of 459 women and children from further domestic violence or child abuse.
Christmas is the perfect season to give to the less fortunate, and the Giving Machines make it easy to choose your preferred cause and donate items. To see if there’s a Giving Machine near you, click this link. You can also donate online if there isn’t a Giving Machine near you.