Queen Creek Vice Mayor Jeff Brown represented the town at the Nov. 18 ribbon cutting ceremony for the East Valley opening of the Giving Machine that has been placed this year in downtown Gilbert under the water tower for Arizona's Light The World campaign.
Usually, people visit a vending machine to get something for themselves, but Light The World Giving Machines are a way to give to someone else this holiday season. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints created the Light The World Giving Machines as an invitation to transform Christmas into a season of service. It’s a worldwide movement to touch hearts and change lives.
"On a great East Valley sunny morning I had the honor of representing Queen Creek and participating in the Arizona #LightTheWorld East Valley ribbon cutting ceremony for the Giving Machines," Brown posted Friday on social media. "The messages and the music centered on the Savior, Jesus Christ, were so inspiring. Thank you to the many organizers, participants and attendees. This year for #LightTheWorld we are asked to focus on sharing kindness."
The machines accept both cash and credit and 100% of your donations made at a Light the World Giving Machine will be used for the purchased item, similar items or services of greater need, as determined by the applicable charitable organization. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints generously covers all Giving Machine operational costs, including any credit card fees.
Throughout December, residents can look for ways to bring joy to someone new each day by bringing a little light to the lives of friends, family members, coworkers and even strangers for the five local and one international nonprofits to benefit from the Giving Machines this year.
They are:
- House of Refuge
- Midwest Food Bank
- Special Olympics Arizona
- Gathering Humanity
- Azcend
- African Girls Hope Foundation
If you can't make it to the local Giving Machine, you can still donate online to the organizations participating in the Giving Machines using the categories above. Choose a category and click "Donate." A list of global and local charity links will pop up.
In 2019, Giving Machines collected more than $3.9 million in donations. One hundred percent of the contribution goes to the charities represented at the Giving Machines.
