East Idaho News
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Highlights from the unveiling of the Giving Machines in Idaho Falls
Posted
December 16, 2025
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December 16, 2025
2,517
165
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6.99%
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2:20Now Playing#eastidahonews #givingmachines #lighttheworld
IDAHO FALLS – With the blow of a train whistle, the Giving Machines made their entrance at the Grand Teton Mall Monday afternoon. Representatives from local charities arrived on a train to explain how the machines work.
Sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Giving Machines are a vending machine in reverse. Those who make a purchase are donating to one of eight different charities in Idaho Falls or around the world. The local charities include the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center, Eastern Idaho Community Action Partnership, Idaho Falls Rescue Mission, The Village, Idaho Falls Community Food Basket and Friends in Service Here.
The international charities are Right to Play and Care.
A description of what’s inside the Giving Machine is listed on its website. Patrons can choose the item they want to purchase and 100% of the proceeds will go directly towards that item.
The LDS Church has been distributing Giving Machines throughout the world every year since 2017. It’s part of its Light the World initiative, which is an invitation to people of all walks of life to “share the light of Christ with others during the Christmas season through acts of kindness.”
This year is the first time the Giving Machines have been in eastern Idaho. It kicked off the season last month in Pocatello before moving to Hemming Village in Rexburg.
Alan Avondet, one of the city leads for the Giving Machine, tells EastIdahoNews.com they’ve requested the machines for the last several years and are thrilled to see them making a debut in Idaho Falls.
“Until they came up with the idea of traveling machines, they were not able to provide them. Now that they have traveling machines, they can provide them to smaller cities, like us,” Avondet says.
Avondet says the response to the Giving Machines in Pocatello and Rexburg “knocked it out of the park” and he hopes for a similar response in Idaho Falls. The machines will be at the Grand Teton Mall through January 1.
Their arrival Monday was a celebratory event for the community. A variety of speakers were in attendance, including Glenn Rawson, host of "Sounds of Sunday" on 100.7 My FM. Renowned musician Jay Osmond, who recently moved to Idaho Falls after a music career spanning 50 years, gave a performance.
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