NEWS
LDS Giving Machines #Lighttheworld
How the LDS Giving Machines Help Us Remember the True Meaning of Christmas
By Brian Straley, Empower Baseball
Christmas competes with a lot of noise — shopping lists, travel plans, busy schedules, and the pressure to “do” the season instead of feel it. But every year, something simple and profound cuts through all of it: the bright red LDS Giving Machines.
I love them because they pull us back to what Christmas has always been about — giving, loving, lifting, and remembering the One whose birth changed everything.
When a family stands in front of a Giving Machine and chooses a meal for a hungry child, a warm coat for someone who’s cold, or school supplies for a student they will never meet, something sacred happens. Kids learn that generosity matters more than gifts. Parents get to teach discipleship in real time. Strangers become connected through compassion. And the world feels just a little more like Bethlehem — full of hope, humility, and light.
Christmas was never meant to be about excess. It was meant to be about Emmanuel — God with us.
With the poor.
With the overlooked.
With the forgotten.
With the child who needs a chance.
The Giving Machines remind us that the true meaning of Christmas is still found in the way we love one another. Not in what we unwrap — but in what we’re willing to give.
2025: The Largest Expansion of Giving Machines Ever
According to the Church Newsroom, 2025 marks the biggest rollout in the history of the Light the World Giving Machines, reaching:
126 cities
21 countries
Six continents
For the first time, Giving Machines are also arriving across South America, expanding into:
Argentina
Brazil
Chile
El Salvador
Panama
This global push shows how universal generosity truly is. The desire to give — to lift another human being — crosses borders, cultures, and languages.
And what donors love most remains unchanged:
100% of every donation goes directly to the charities delivering the services.
No overhead. No processing fees. Just pure giving.
Where You Can Find the Giving Machines (2025 Highlights)
🇺🇸 United States (selected cities)
Arizona: Gilbert, Mesa
California: San Diego, San Jose, Bakersfield, Fresno, Los Angeles
Colorado: Denver
Idaho: Boise, Twin Falls, Rexburg, Pocatello, Caldwell
Illinois: Chicago
Missouri: Kansas City
Nevada: Las Vegas, Henderson, Elko
New York: New York City
North Carolina: Charlotte
Texas: Dallas, Houston, Austin, El Paso, Arlington, McAllen, McKinney
Utah: Salt Lake City, Orem, Ogden, Logan
Washington: Seattle, Spokane, Kennewick
Alaska: Anchorage, Fairbanks
International (selected regions)
Canada: Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, Lethbridge
Australia: Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Hobart, Canberra, Adelaide
Mexico & Latin America: Mexico City, Guadalajara, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí
New 2025: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, Panama
Philippines: Manila, Cebu, Davao, Bacolod
New Zealand: Hamilton, Christchurch
Europe: Rome, Madrid, Vienna, and additional locations
This is not the full list, but it reflects the incredible worldwide reach of this year’s initiative.
Why the Giving Machines Resonate So Deeply With Us at Empower Baseball
I served my mission in the Dominican Republic. I saw poverty up close — not as a statistic but as a daily reality for families doing everything they can with almost nothing. I also saw something else: resilience, faith, and a desire for opportunity.
That’s why the Giving Machines speak to me so deeply. They turn compassion into action. They make generosity simple and joyful. They teach the same truths we build Empower Baseball on:
Children deserve to be lifted.
Families deserve hope.
Education changes lives.
Opportunities should be ethical, accessible, and rooted in dignity.
The Giving Machines and Empower Baseball may work in different corners of the world, but our missions rhyme.
From the Giving Machines to Barahona: A Shared Purpose
Our work in the Dominican Republic is simple:
Baseball is where we meet them.
Education is where we take them.
We train boys ethically, keep them in school, provide mentorship and tutoring, and break the cycle of exploitation in Dominican baseball.
And in 2026, we launch our first girls’ education-first softball academy — something families have been requesting for years.
Just like the Giving Machines, our mission is about lifting young people toward a brighter future.
Giving — real, Christ-centered giving — changes lives in ways we can’t fully measure.
How You Can “Light the World” With Us This Season
f the Giving Machines inspire you (and they inspire me every year), here are meaningful ways you can support our kids in Barahona:
✔️ Make a Donation
Your gift keeps Dominican youth in school, safe, and supported.
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/empowerbaseball/
✔️ Support Our 2026 Girls’ Softball Launch
Help us give girls the same opportunities boys receive — education, mentorship, and a real path forward.
✔️ Share Our Mission
Spread the message of hope and empowerment to someone who cares about kids, education, or the Dominican Republic.
Final Thoughts
The LDS Giving Machines remind us that Christmas is really about giving — the Christlike kind that lifts quietly, steadily, and joyfully.
Whether you’re donating a meal through a Giving Machine in New York City or helping a teenager in Barahona stay in school, the spirit is the same:
Light the world.
Lift someone’s life.
Be part of the miracle.
And if you’d like to bring that light to the Dominican Republic this Christmas, we’d be honored to walk that road with you.
*Empower Baseball is not affiliated or endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints