Imagine you’re walking through a town square for the holidays. You get thirsty, so you look around for a vending machine. The cherry-red glow on the corner appeals to you like a rogue starship caught by a Tractor Beam in “Star Wars.” You pull out a couple of dollars, and that’s when you get the surprise–this isn’t a vending machine; it’s one of many “Giving Machines.”
Thanks to the Light the World Campaign and its signature Giving Machines, that will be the feeling in 107 cities nationwide and 13 countries across five continents. Instead of buying a candy bar and a soda for you, these philanthropic vendors allow people to buy food or drinks for a family around the world.
Some of the gifts you can provide someone in need include:
- A prepaid cell phone for $25
- A metro bus card for $30
- After-school tutoring for 5 children for $50
- Baby formula for 10 expecting mothers for $100
Whether they’re in Boston or Botswana, the Christmas Spirit has no distance it can’t reach. And whether you’re a cross-carrying Catholic or a Spirit-filled Protestant, this is a campaign that all children of God can get behind.
How can you give to these unique giving machines? Here’s how…
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Many Causes. Your Choice.
The Giving Machines are brought to these cities through a partnership of non-profit organizations with the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, such as UNICEF, The Salvation Army, and CARE. Together, they cover charitable outreach across the street or around the world. During the holidays, a dollar should not have distance, and the vision of the #LightTheWorldcampaign is big enough to carry donations everywhere.
“Light the World is our message of glad tidings, which we’re assured will bring joy to all people because of Jesus Christ — because of His birth, because of His ministry and because of His resurrection,” said Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at the 2024 launch event in the Conference Center on Temple Square [Salt Lake City, Utah] on November 13.
“Just as angels declared words of great joy at His birth, we too in our own small way, gift by gift, can be angels in the lives of others as we extend the love of Jesus Christ to people near and far, and as we proclaim a witness of the Savior of the world.”
Since 2017, the Church has used these innovative Giving Machines to give over $32 million to notable causes worldwide. They have worked with various churches, denominations, and organizations inside and outside of the faith. Although Christians celebrate Christmas as the birth of our Savior, the “Christmas Spirit” is something that all people deserve to experience.
Due to the extensive planning of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which covers all program operational expenses, 100% of all donations will go toward their target audiences. They work with over 500 local and international charities that cover all sorts of needs—food to water, shelter to school, healthcare to job training. It’s a Christmas campaign that spans denominational barriers or even locked church front doors.
Last year, the Giving Machines achieved impressive numbers that conveyed national outreach for local and global causes:
- $10.4 million raised
- 550,000 visitors
- 349,000 cards purchased, which translated into:
- 125,000 chickens
- 16,600 goats
- 662,000 vaccines
- 180,000 pounds of food
- 2 million meals
Where to Find Giving Machines Near You
The Giving Machines are crucial to the Church for holiday fundraising during their #LightTheWorld campaign. Although they might not be from your church, they help the greater mission of everyone with faith. From charitable causes to giving people second chances, these contraptions of Yuletide joy have conceptualized a true reason for the season.
This is the unveiling of the 2024 campaign.
If you’re interested in learning more about the campaign or where you can find one of these unique Giving Machines, there are country and city lists available online.
In 2023, these machines created a record-setting year for donations placed in 61 different locations in seven countries worldwide. That number increased to over 100 in 2024, creating expectations for an amazing year of giving by people of all faiths, denominations, and religions.
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