“Share the Christmas Spirit: Invite Others to a Light the World Giving Machine Experience,” Liahona, Dec. 2025, United States and Canada Section.
Share the Christmas Spirit: Invite Others to a Light the World Giving Machine Experience
Millions around the world benefit from Giving Machine donations.
Members of the Church have enjoyed inviting their friends to a Light the World Giving Machine kiosk and sharing the love and connections to be made through this unique experience at Christmastime.
The pattern seems to be this: Families hear about the Giving Machine kiosk and go the first time by themselves to see how it works. After they have experienced it for themselves, members invite their friends and neighbors to visit the kiosk with them. They explain that the Giving Machine kiosk is like a “reverse vending machine”—instead of buying something for yourself, you purchase something for someone in need. Proceeds go to worthy causes, often to local nonprofit agencies. The people receiving help might be in your town!
The Light the World Giving Machine experience provides a perfect entrée to an invitation for fun and celebration during the Christmas season. Consider these examples of lives that were touched as members simply invited friends and family members to visit a Giving Machine kiosk.
Inviting Pickleball Team Members
One member shared the “One Drop at a Time” Church video about the Giving Machine initiative with friends in her pickleball class. Three of her playing companions of different faiths accompanied her to a machine directly after their games.
One woman, Kelly, was so touched by the opportunity to buy items for teens and children that she told her member friend, “This idea is so unbelievably awesome! Everyone needs to know about these machines!” Kelly posted about the experience on her Facebook page. She became an incredible advocate for the Giving Machine initiative, prompting five families in her neighborhood to visit a Giving Machine kiosk, as well as family members in three different cities to visit their local Giving Machine kiosks.
Inviting Coworkers
A wife and husband invited the members of his work team and their families to join them for dinner and to visit a Giving Machine kiosk. With a shared love for service, the team found it to be the perfect way to celebrate Christmas and their accomplishments together. Everyone enjoyed selecting gifts and choosing the organizations to support.
“It’s fantastic! I love that we can be a small part of something so big,” said Brittany, one of the employees. Her 10-year-old son asked when they could go back because he wanted to give more! The member who extended the invitation reflected on the experience, saying, “This is a tradition we will continue for years to come. It was a wonderful evening to share the Light of Christ with others.”
The author is a former Giving Machine coordinator.