Denver Giving Machines provide an innovative way to give back this holiday season
DENVER — A bank of four red vending machines near the 16th Street Mall invites pedestrians to buy a winter coat, art supplies, lumber or a tower of lettuce for someone who needs help.
Those gifts are just a few of the many practical items shown on cards inside the vending machines that have taken the place of more familiar choices like snacks or drinks.
The transaction is also familiar: each item has a number to be entered on a touchscreen. The donor swipes a credit card or uses mobile pay, and the item falls to the bottom. The difference is the cards pile up and are not immediately removed. The machines keep a running total of all purchases with the money going directly to each charity.
“The idea is to create a link between the giver and the recipient,” said Amy Johnson, who is on the organizing committee for Giving Machines sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “And giving a tangible item, knowing exactly what you’re giving, is what creates that emotional link.”
The machines have returned to Denver’s Writer Square (at the corner of Larimer and 15th Street) each November since 2019. They are part of the Church’s annual Light the World holiday initiative. The first machines appeared in Salt Lake City in 2017. This year, the machines can be found in 28 locations around the world.
“The idea is to give as Jesus gave, one person at a time,” Johnson explained. “And so, the team was trying to come up with a simple, familiar way to give in a transactional way. So, they thought, what’s easier than a vending machine?”
In Denver, this year’s machines benefit eight charities, three of which operate globally:
- A Precious Child assists children and families facing difficult life challenges such as abuse and neglect, crisis situations and poverty.
- Doctors Care is dedicated to improving health access for low-income individuals in the South Metro Denver area.
- Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver builds strength, stability and self-reliance through affordable housing.
- Metro Caring provides nutritious food while addressing the root causes of hunger.
- Village Exchange Center serves immigrants and refugees through community connection.
- iDE Global creates livelihood opportunities for poor rural households.
- Mentors International transforms generational poverty into sustainable self-reliance.
- Water for People makes high-quality drinking water and sanitation accessible to all.
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Each charity has identified the things people need most, resulting in 30 items ranging from ducks to diapers, gardening tools to groceries, lettuce to lumber. Prices range from $3 (soap for one school) to $250 (community garden). Donors can purchase multiple items in a single transaction up to $3,000.
“The best stories are when the kids come with their allowance and choose an item for $5 or $10,” Johnson said. “It’s an unusual, unique way to help children, for example, learn to give.”
The Church covers all the costs of the machines and credit card fees. So, none of the money donated goes to overhead.
“My favorite stories are the people who come who’ve benefited from these charities in the past,” Johnson said. “Now they have a little bit of money and they can give back.”
Donations are eligible for tax deductions and may also be eligible for employer matching programs. Receipts are available by text or email.
Denver’s Giving Machines operate 24/7, Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day. Volunteers are typically near the machines daily from noon to 8 p.m.
Jeremy Moore is the senior multimedia journalist at Rocky Mountain PBS. You can reach him at jeremymoore@rmpbs.org.