The feeling that permeated the gathering that was held to welcome the first-ever Light the World Giving Machines in Chile on Nov. 26 was unifying, said one giving machine volunteer as she recounted her experience to the Deseret News.
At the machines’ launch in Santiago, Chile, “one could feel that unity (and) that nothing else mattered,” said the 21-year-old volunteer, Francisca Arias.
“We were all united for one cause and that was the machines,” she explained. “We were all waiting to see how they would be, how they would work. (And) we were all hoping to see everything work out, so that ultimately, the most amount of donations can be raised to help those in need.”
The launch of these Giving Machines in Chile marked the first time these big red vending machines for charity entered South America. And the event helped Arias feel that the Giving Machine initiative, run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is “inspired by God.”
The initiative “isn’t run to serve the church economically,” she said, “but it truly is to help those in need — both families and children.”
Since the initiative first launched in 2017, people have donated nearly $50 million to help those in need worldwide. Each year, the Church of Jesus Christ has covered all operational costs, distributing 100% of proceeds to the initiative’s participating nonprofits. These nonprofits have then helped deliver the donated items and services — ranging from goats and chickens, to business mentoring and menstrual health education — to those in need.
Launch events similar to the one Arias attended have been held locally in places like Salt Lake City, South Jordan and Brigham Young University.
Others have taken place around the world as the initiative has begun entering the 126 cities in 21 countries that were announced to host Giving Machines this year. See how individuals and organizations in some of these locations have welcomed the first-ever Giving Machines to come to their respective countries below.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
A few days following the initiative’s launch in Santiago, Chile, the Giving Machine initiative kicked off in a second South American country: Argentina.
Carlos Cantero, the church’s communication director in Buenos Aires, Argentina, told the Deseret News that having the Giving Machines in Argentina for the first time is “wonderful.”
“It is a very innovative way to help, given that many times one desires to support various organizations … and this way of helping them is very simple.”
The donations made at the Argentina Giving Machines will help support a local hospital and other local nonprofits, whose work includes helping serve and educate people with disabilities, provide treatment for children with hearing loss and assist people experiencing homelessness.
“We feel absolutely blessed, moved and excited,” said Laura Wierszylo, the global strategic development director at the organization aiding those with disabilities, according to a release published on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
“For 20 years, we have walked alongside the church promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities. A small action can create a big impact. In these machines, a scholarship is the opportunity for a student with a disability to enter, stay and graduate from university.”
Gina Romano, president of the organization aiding children with hearing disabilities, shared how the donations made through the Giving Machines located in a mall in Buenos Aires, Argentina, will change these children’s lives.
“We have worked for 30 years with families who cannot afford hearing aids or the treatments their children need,” she said. “Many times, they don’t even have enough to eat. This initiative opens a path so that, with a small gesture, someone can give a child the chance to hear, speak and learn. It’s not just coming to the mall — it’s lighting the world with every gesture.”
The Giving Machines kicked off in Argentina on Nov. 30, and according to the church’s release, Giving Machines in a third South American country — Brazil — will open later this month for the first time in the country.
Vienna, Austria
Holiday shoppers, community members and organizational representatives welcomed Austria’s first-ever Light the World Giving Machines with a ribbon-cutting ceremony held Thursday, Nov. 13 — just one day following the initiative’s global launch on Nov. 12.
Elder Rubén V. Alliaud, president of the church’s Europe Central Area, was among those present at the Austria launch and said the event “shows how small, personal choices can multiply into something beautiful for the whole community.”
Also present at the event were representatives from local organizations, such as VinziWerke, Ronald McDonald Kinderhilfe, World Vision Österreich and Diakonie Österreich, according to a release from the church. These representatives participated in the event’s ribbon-cutting ceremony and shared stories of how even modest contributions can help change lives by providing others with meals, warm coats, schoolbooks and hope.
The Giving Machine initiative “makes social commitment and Christian charity tangible during Advent,” said Diakonie director Maria Katharina Moser at the event.
“Together, we can provide very concrete help for people in need, such as a healthy meal, learning materials or medical care for people without health insurance.”
Santiago, Chile
The Giving Machines that launched in Chile on Nov. 26 will help support three Chilean organizations, according to a release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
These organizations do work that helps provide free rehabilitation for children and youth with burns, treat children with cleft lip and cleft palate, and support children with complex or terminal illnesses and their families.
“These machines are part of the global Light the World initiative, which celebrates Jesus Christ, our Savior, and reminds us of the commandment to love our neighbor,” said Elder Alan R. Walker of the church’s South America South Area presidency at the event.
He attended the launch in Chile and said the event was “not celebrating an advertising campaign, but (rather) the Savior and the opportunity to follow his example by giving the best of ourselves to others.”
At the Chile Giving Machines, people can purchase to donate items such as patches, creams, medications, dental care, milk and diapers.
San Salvador, El Salvador
In a city and country, whose names include the Spanish word for “Savior,” church Area Seventy Elder Hugo Panameño welcomed the first-ever Giving Machine to debut in El Salvador and invited those present to follow the example of Jesus Christ.
“Christ invited us to serve, to give and to share of ourselves for the little ones,” he said, “to lighten with love those burdens that many of us cannot even imagine that these children and their families suffer.”
Elder Panameño then invited listeners to experience “the light of Christ and light up the world” by donating items and services through the newly installed Giving Machine.
The donations made through the machine, he said, will help cover medical treatments, medicines and other vital resources for more than 1,500 children with cancer in El Salvador through the organization Ayúdame a Vivir — whose name translates to “Help me to Live.”
Rome, Italy
With a Light the World presentation that mirrored displays seen in New York City’s Time Square and London, hundreds of people and passerby welcomed Italy’s first-ever Giving Machines at Rome’s Piazza della Repubblica on Monday, Dec. 8.
These machines will enable visitors and community members to serve vulnerable children, families and the elderly by supporting organizations such as the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Community of Sant’Egidio and the Italian Red Cross.
“The church is deeply committed to doing good and extending help wherever it is needed,” recognized Italian Senator Lucio Malan, according to a release from the church. “Even though its members may be few in number, their determination to serve others is truly remarkable.”
Organizational representatives, alongside local church and civic leaders, joined together for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the machines’ launch in Italy.
“Rome is even more beautiful with the Giving Machines here,” said Alderwoman Barbara Funari, who oversees Rome’s social and health policies. “It is a pleasure to host them. From the moment we learned about this initiative, we fell in love with it — and we are eager to do even more.”
Tokyo, Japan
In a country with one of the “highest vending machine densities in the world,” according to a release from the church, Light the World Giving Machines recently entered Japan for their first time to build on the country’s “vending tradition” and make it one focused on giving.
The Giving Machines, located at the Otemachi Tower in Tokyo, Japan, opened Nov. 24 and were welcomed by corporate, religious and government leaders, alongside organizational representatives, in an event held Nov. 27.
“These are not someone else’s problems, but social issues that we must address,” said Mitsuya Kodama, secretary general of CARE International Japan — a participating organization that works to defeat global poverty and world hunger.
“When you see these red machines,” he continued, “I hope you will pause for a moment and turn your wish for someone’s happiness into action. This small light will surely become someone’s hope.”
Elder J. Kimo Esplin, president of the church’s Asia North Area, also spoke at the Nov. 27 event and said Giving Machines transcend boundaries between different religions, organizations and cultures.
“The true spirit of Christmas lies in giving, and Giving Machines bring the spirit of Christmas to life,” he said. “Let us brighten the world together, starting today.”
In addition to CARE International Japan, the Giving Machines in Japan will help support organizations who work to deliver meals to those in need, aid single-parent households and those recovering from disasters, and provide legal and livelihood support for refugees.
Barcelona, Spain
Giving Machines arrived in Spain for the very first time on Nov. 28, and were welcomed by families and individuals, the media, and church and community leaders in Barcelona.
“During Christmas, we celebrate the love of Jesus Christ, and today that love has been made visible with each donation,” said Elder Alliaud of the church’s Europe Central Area presidency.
According to a release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, the machines received a constant flux of visitors, including local influencers who helped spread the word and excitement about the machines.
Sister Lucía Caram, a recognized Dominican nun and advocate for the vulnerable through her Santa Clara Convent Foundation, also visited the machines on Nov. 28. She had helped secure the machines’ location at Westfield La Maquinista in Barcelona, Spain. And as a friend of the church, she also generated “extensive media attention,” including by helping arrange a live segment on a popular morning program in the area.
The Giving Machine initiative “is the culmination of a process of solidarity,” she said, “of having created networks of compassion, of shared passion, networks of fellowship in which the church has been helping many organizations.”
Bangkok, Thailand
The first-ever Giving Machines to come to Thailand and Southeast Asia officially launched in a retail center on Nov. 29, according to a recent church release.
Their inauguration ceremony was a “success,” the release states, and drew in attention from religious and community leaders, as well as the general public.
“We are grateful for our partners and their dedication to this project,” said Elder Benjamin M.Z. Tai, president of the church’s Asia Area. “This is the first year the Giving Machine has come to Bangkok, and it is meaningful to bring it to a country known for kindness and generosity….
“Everyone has a light to share, and by supporting the Giving Machine, we can make a positive difference together.”
Elder Tai and Bhichit Rattakul, former governor of Bangkok, were two of the first official donors at the Bangkok Giving Machines. During the launch event, Rattakul also addressed attendees and said “giving begins with opening opportunities for others.”
“The Giving Machine reminds us of the reality between those who have and those who have not,” he said. And “even small donations can awaken society to the importance of compassion.”
Items and services at the Bangkok Giving Machines include educational kits for the visually impaired, helmets for children and educational resources for children in underprivileged communities. Donations made at these machines will help organizations such as the Charity Foundation for the Blind in Thailand
The items purchased to donate “are essential investments for our students,” said Nuengruthai Puangpetch, director of Bandek Ramindra School in Thailand. “This is far more than just aid; it directly funds vocational training and provides tools for the visually impaired community to gain independence and long-term career opportunities.”
How the church manages the funds raised worldwide
Once given their share of the funds raised, each of this year’s more than 500 participating nonprofit organizations will need to provide the church an itemized report of how they use the funds received. This will ensure each contribution provides the item and service that was donated from the start, according to community outreach director Kurt Soffe of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Jordan River Utah Region.
“If you have purchased piglets or a chicken or something else that’s specific, the church is going the extra mile to make certain that your donation goes for exactly what you have purchased,” he told the Deseret News at a Giving Machine launch in South Jordan last week.
According to Soffe, each participating nonprofit must “return and report to the church that the gift you selected has been delivered.” And he added each nonprofit may only use 10% of whatever was given for overhead costs.
To see a full list of the 126 cities in 21 countries that are hosting the machines this year, click here. And to see how Light the World Giving Machine donations are blessing both givers and receivers, click here.
See more photos of the Giving Machines’ arrival in these countries
