Unique charity supporting vending machines returns to Southcentre Mall – Calgary

A unique vending machine aimed at helping to support charities both locally and globally has returned to a south Calgary mall.

Hundreds of Giving Machines can now be found worldwide including Calgary and Lethbridge as part of its “Light the World” holiday initiative, returning to the 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 that are in need,” says Alex Andrews with The Giving Machine.

This year’s machines offer over 30 items to choose from for local charities including meals for families in need at The Alex in southeast Calgary, after school snacks for kids associated with the Women in Need Society (WINS), and hockey helmets to Kidsport Calgary.

Other charities included this year are the Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids, and The Children’s Cottage Society.

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Donations can also be made through the Giving Machines to worldwide charities CARE Canada and WaterAid with options to donate emergency food, a safe birth for moms, and clean drinking water.

Christine Roadhouse was at Saturday’s kick off event and spent around $300 on meals for kids at the Children’s Cottage Society in Calgary.

“I grew up north in a very small community. There was quite a bit of poverty there and I saw my mom and dad; that’s what my mom and dad did. They started a hot lunch program at the school I went to for kids that didn’t have meals and yeah so just learned that from an early age,” said Roadhouse.

Katie Knopp with the Children Cottage Society says its currently trying to fill the need for 20 nurseries for families and the meals will go a long way to fill the small bellies.

“To know that we’re going to be able to feed three, four, five, you know, anywhere from 20 kids at the end of today is incredibly exciting,” said Knopp.

More than $32 million has been raised for charities through The Giving Machine since its inception in 2017. Because the machines are sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 100 per cent of the profits go to the charities.

“I think what’s important behind each one of those tiles as they fall out of the machine that there’s an individual, there’s a human life behind it that’s being impacted,” says Andrews

The Giving Machines will be at Southcentre Mall until December 29th.

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