The Giving Machine is coming back to the Gila Valley December 2 through 14, 2024. The machine will be located in front of Safford City Hall on the corner of 8th Avenue and Main Street. The machines will be open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily and volunteers will be on-hand to help with the machines’ operation.
The community is invited to the kick-off event that will be held at 5:00 pm on Monday, December 2, 2024 on the front lawn of the City of Safford City Hall. There will be remarks from representatives of multiple religious denominations and the local nonprofit organizations that can receive donations, and performances by the Saguaro String Quartet and a choir of school children from across the Gila Valley. The full program can be found here.
The Gila Valley Machine will include two global charities as well as state and local charities. Local charities include:
- Mount Graham Safe House
- Our Neighbor’s Farm and Pantry
- Society of St. Vincent DePaul
The annual Light the World Giving Machine Initiative is a global phenomenon sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In the time it takes to swipe a credit card, anyone can donate much-needed items, such as clothing, food, hygiene products, school supplies, and even livestock (goats, pigs, chickens) for those in need.
Most importantly, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints covers all operational expenses, so one hundred percent of every donation is given to the participating nonprofit to purchase and deliver the selected item.
Giving Machines function the same as any other vending machine — after inserting money, the donor chooses which nonprofit to receive the funds. A card drops and donors are encouraged to take a selfie of themselves with the cards and share those photos on social media.
Donations can be made in denominations between $10-$250.
Donors have their choice of donating to a local organization, statewide or nationwide charities, or an organization doing charity work on a global scale.
The light the world initiative was founded in 2017. Since its inception, $33 million has been donated through machines located throughout the world.
The machines started 2017 in four cities — Manila, Philippines; London, England; Salt Lake City and Gilbert. This year, the machines will be in more than 100 cities in North America, the Philippines and Australia.
Since 2017, the Giving Machines have raised more than $33 million for charitable organizations and initiatives. Last year the Gila Valley Giving Machine raised $46,000 for local organizations.
