For many Latter-day Saints, the Church’s iconic red vending machines have become synonymous with creative and fun charitable giving at Christmas time. And 2021 was no exception—from November 2021 through early January 2022, roughly 300,000 people visited the Church’s Giving Machines in 10 US cities and donated more than $5.8 million to feed, clothe, and care for others.
To put that number into perspective, here are a few statistics from Newsroom of the services those donations will provide around the world:
2021 Highlights
- More than 1.7 million meals and 14,000 boxes of fresh produce
- Essential clothing for nearly 20,000 children
- Polio vaccines for more than 837,000 children
- More than 80,000 chickens to give families long-term nutrition and income potential
Since 2017, Light the World Giving Machines have raised $15 million. According to Newsroom, all administrative and operational fees (including credit card transaction fees) are paid for by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, allowing each charitable organization to receive 100 percent of their allotted donations.
Sister Sharon Eubank, president of Latter-day Saint Charities, told Newsroom, “Each person who participated with the Giving Machines has given a loving and unselfish gift. We may not always meet the people we help, but we will be forever connected. I express sincere gratitude to all who helped make it happen. It’s such a Christlike gesture to feed, clothe, educate and shelter brothers and sisters. In this simple way we express our love to the Savior and our love to others by following His example of caring.”
You can read more about the 2021 Giving Machines on the Church’s Newsroom.
