CHUBBUCK, Idaho (KIFI)- The Light the World Giving Machine initiative is returning to Eastern Idaho for the 2026 holiday season, beginning Friday, Nov. 13, with a kickoff celebration at the Idaho Central Credit Union headquarters in Chubbuck.
Organized annually by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the initiative features customized vending kiosks that allow visitors to donate items such as food, clothing and hygiene supplies directly to non-profit organizations.
The opening event in Chubbuck will begin at 6 p.m. Friday at 4400 Central Way, featuring a ribbon-cutting ceremony and campus tree lighting. Mayors representing 13 surrounding communities will gather during the ceremony to sign a joint proclamation on serving and giving.
Featured speakers include Brenda Worrell, chief executive officer of ICCU and Elder David J. Pickett, an Area Seventy for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The event will also feature a 60-child choir singing “This Little Light of Mine,” a Parade of Charities highlighting participating local non-profit groups, and other performances.
Following the launch in Chubbuck, the Giving Machines will follow a multi-city schedule across Eastern Idaho through the start of the new year. The Chubbuck location at ICCU headquarters will operate daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. through Nov. 29, concluding with a closing celebration at 6:30 p.m.
The machines will then move to The Atrium at Hemming Village in Rexburg from Nov. 30 through Dec. 14, operating from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., before finishing at The Grand Teton Mall in Idaho Falls from Dec. 15 through Jan. 1, 2027, during standard mall operating hours.
The Giving Machine program operates as a reverse vending machine system where donors can select specific charitable items to purchase for families and individuals in need. Available donation items include clothing, food, hygiene kits, educational supplies and livestock. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints covers all administrative and operational expenses for the initiative, allowing participating non-profit groups to receive 100% of all funds collected to buy and deliver designated items.
The Pocatello and Chubbuck location will feature eight participating non-profit organizations this year. United Way of Southeastern Idaho is returning as a partner charity, while seven other regional non-profit groups will be participating in the Giving Machine initiative for the first time.
Local organizers began selecting participating charities in April after receiving notification in March that the machines would return to the region, working directly with each charity to identify items for inclusion in the vending kiosks.
Sherri Matson is the city of Pocatello lead for the Light the World Initiative. She noted that strong community participation during previous runs helped secure the initiative’s return to Eastern Idaho.
“We had such a remarkable turnout last year with our East Idaho route.”
During the 2025 holiday season, the Giving Machine route across Pocatello, Rexburg and Idaho Falls drew approximately 90,000 visitors.
The Eastern Idaho locations are part of a global charitable campaign conducted by the church. In 2025, the Giving Machine initiative operated across 126 cities in 21 countries on six continents. Since the initiative launched in 2017, donors worldwide have contributed approximately $70 million through the specialized kiosks.Organizers stated that the Chubbuck campus venue provides a dedicated space where community members gather specifically to participate in charitable giving.
Matson says the Chubbuck location at the ICCU campus stands out.
“What brings people here is just an opportunity to give. There isn’t a shopping center or other things that people are coming here to buy. They’re coming here specifically to give. “
The Chubbuck machines will remain open to the public through Nov. 29 at 4400 Central Way. The mobile initiative will then reopen at The Atrium at Hemming Village in Rexburg on Nov. 30 at 12 p.m., before making its final regional stop at The Grand Teton Mall in Idaho Falls on Dec. 15 at 12 p.m., where it will operate through Jan. 1, 2027, excluding Christmas Day.
