A unique vending machine intended to help support charities locally and globally is returning to a south Calgary shopping center.
Hundreds of Giving machines can now be found around the world, including Calgary and Lethbridge, as part of its “Light the World” holiday initiative, which returns to Southcentre Mall for a third year.
“Really, we’re trying to instill the spirit of Christmas which is really about giving and helping those who are less fortunate and those who are in need,” says Alex Andrews of The Giving Machine.
This year’s machines feature more than 30 items to choose from for local charities, including meals for families in need at The Alex in southeast Calgary, after-school snacks for children associated with Women in Need Society (WINS)and hockey helmets for Children’s Sports Calgary.
Other charities included this year are Brown bags for Calgary childrenAnd The children’s chalet society.
Get the latest national news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up to receive breaking news alerts sent directly to you as they happen.
Donations can also be made through the Giving Machines to charities around the world. CARE Canada And Water Aid with options to donate emergency food, safe delivery for moms and clean water.
Christine Roadhouse was at Saturday’s launch event and spent about $300 on meals for children at the Children’s Cottage Society in Calgary.
“I grew up in the North, in a very small community. There was a lot of poverty there and I saw my mother and father; That’s what my mother and father did. They started a hot lunch program at the school I went to for kids that didn’t have meals and yeah, so they learned that from a young age,” Roadhouse said.
Katie Knopp of the Children Cottage Society says they are currently trying to fill the need for 20 family daycares and the meals will go a long way to filling little bellies.
“Knowing that we’re going to be able to feed three, four, five, you know, up to 20 kids at the end of the day is incredibly exciting,” Knopp said.
More than $32 million has been raised for charity through The Giving Machine since its inception in 2017. Because the machines are sponsored by the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints100 percent of profits go to charity.
“I think what’s important behind each of these tiles when they fall out of the machine is that there’s an individual, there’s a human life behind it that’s affected,” Andrews says.
The Giving Machines will be Southcentre Shopping Center until December 29.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.