Hong Kong Illuminates the City with “Light the World” Giving Machines

Residents and visitors of Hong Kong – the city known as the “Shopping Heaven” – will have a unique “shopping” experience this Christmas in the New Town Plaza at Shatin which houses one of the first “Light the World” Giving Machines in Asia. 

Sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Giving Machine is a charity initiative that features touchscreen donation-focused vending machines that allow anyone to purchase needed items for local charitable organizations, helping to touch lives and transform charitable giving into an innovative and easily accessible experience.

The initiative officially launched in Hong Kong on November 15, 2024 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, an apostle of the Church, alongside representatives from the five local participating charities: Pok Oi Hospital, Foodlink Foundation, Hong Kong Council of Early Childhood Education and Services, House of Learning, and Love 21. 

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Wilson Kwok, chairman of Pok Oi Hospital (POH) Youth and Family Services Committee, shared with the audience the comprehensive community service POH provides to the people in Hong Kong in the past 105 years, which include medical care, dental, elderly care, education and social services, as well as transitional housing solution. 

While POH serves Hong Kong people at all levels, the others have a specific focus on the low-income families, the elderly, children and youth, Down syndrome, autistic and the neurodiverse. The Church engages with these diverse charities to maximize community impact. Through the Giving Machines, the public can "purchase" pre-set items from these organizations—such as meals, essential goods, educational supplies, skill-building materials and medical items—to assist those in need.

“It was very good to see the five groups which are very significant,” Elder Uchtdorf said. “They are very positive in their approach, in connecting to the Church and our means, desires and goals.”

“This project, together with many other (projects) we have, is something to show the world that we are really a Church which reaches out to everyone, every social part of society,” Elder Uchtdorf continued.

During the ceremony, the five local charities each lit up a candle, which signifies their collaboration with the Church in creating greater good together and bringing light to others’ lives. Elder Uchtdorf sees that as “a candle of faith, love, kindness and giving thanks, not only to God, but also to those around us, and helping others wherever we go.”

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The Giving Machines initiative began in Christmas 2017 in various parts of the world, with the vision of instilling a digital spirit of giving during the holiday season. It inspires people to consider the needs of others alongside purchasing gifts for friends and family, and encourages them to express Christlike love and compassion by buying supplies for the underprivileged through the vending machines.

Since its inception, over 2 million people worldwide have contributed more than US$32 million (approximately HK$200 million). In 2023 alone, over 250 charitable organizations benefited from this initiative. This year, the vending machines are being placed in more than 100 cities across 13 countries, with Hong Kong participating for the first time.

The innovation and success of the Giving Machines around the world has generated substantial excitement among the participating sponsoring local charities here in the city. 

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“This is such a cool idea,” said Jeff Rotmeyer, founder and CEO of Love 21, a charity that aims to help Down syndrome, autistic and the neurodiverse. “We want to provide a much stronger united voice for this community because this is the community that is very held back in society, and they are just not really given the same opportunities as you and I have had. So as a charity, we are just trying to do all we can. We are extremely grateful for this amazing support.”

The surrounding audience at the ceremony was intrigued by the Giving Machines as well. 

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“There are a lot of people that need our help, yet I don’t know how to reach out to them,” said Siu Ling Lee, one of the donors. “The Giving Machines makes it easy for me to contribute to different groups of people at the same time.” 

“I think it’s great to have a machine that allows me to choose what I want to donate,” said Crystal Lai, another donor. “I really like seeing the moment when the card drops down, as it indicates that my donation has gone through.”

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All are welcome to this 48-day campaign:
• Date: November 15, 2024 to January 1, 2025
• Venue: New Town Plaza, Phase 1, Shatin (in the open area between shops 107 & 110)
• Operating Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day

To ensure that every dollar donated goes directly to the participating charities, the Church covers all costs related to this campaign. Donors can choose their preferred charity and specific items to support, with each organization permitted to allocate up to 10% of Giving Machines donations for overhead expenses. To guarantee transparency and accountability, the Church requires each charity to submit a detailed report on how the funds were used. 

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“I think we created a wonderful group of friends which will go beyond the moment and beyond Christmas and beyond the next years, and it will cause other organizations and groups wanting to be part of this,” Elder Uchtdorf concluded. “We would like to go out and do good and increase the good in the world.” 

To learn more, visit GivingMachine.org