On Friday, December5, Home and Away star, Matt Evans, went on The Morning Show as a giving machine ambassador. On the show, he explained how the machines worked and how simple it is to give to others through them.
Watch the interview here.
“It’s like going and buying a chocolate bar or a package of chips from a vending machine,” Evans said.
There are nine giving machine locations in Australia:
- Adelaide: Westfield West Lakes from November 27 to December 27
- Brisbane/Logan: Logan Hyperdome from November 27 to December 27
- Canberra: Canberra Centre food court from November 26 to December 27
- Gold Coast: Robina Town Centre from November 27 to December 27
- Hobart: Eastland Shopping Centre from December 1 to 31
- Melbourne: Highpoint Shopping Centre from November 21 to December 26
- Newcastle: Charlestown Square from December 8- to 28
- Perth: Lakeside Joondalup Shopping Centre from November 21 to December 25
- Sydney: Westfield Parramatta from November 27 to December 27; and Macarthur Square from November 27 to December 27
Giving machines are an unforgettable way to help those in need each Christmas. Each giving machine committee, made up of local volunteers, partners with local charities, to curate a selection of their top five needs over the next year. These needs range from lifesaving medical care and support for people experiencing homelessness to literacy and numeracy tutoring for rural communities.
Donations range from $5 to $200, to cater to different people’s circumstances and budgets. 100% of the purchases are donated to the charities. The machines are solely staffed by volunteers, offering help and information at each giving machine location.
The worldwide giving machine initiative was created by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a part of its annual “Light the World” Christmas outreach. This is a special invitation from the Church to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ by sharing His light with others during the Christmas season through acts of kindness.
Along with Matt Evans, other recognisable Aussie faces are helping to spread awareness about giving machines. These include the Yellow Wiggle, Tsehay Hawkins; Fox Sports Australia presenter, Jemma Barge; Newcastle Rugby League siblings, Fane and Junior Finaus; NRL Bulldogs player, Gordon Chan Kum Tong; the Amosa Family; and country music artist, Saralyn Matla.
Channel 9 News Featured both Matla and Evans on their coverage of the Newcastle Giving Machine launch on December 9.
“The giving machine initiative is so important because there’s so many people who need so many things at Christmas time and it’s especially a lonely time for some,” Jemma Barge said in a social media post..
The giving machines mainly partner with local charities but also support larger groups such as GIVIT, Foodbank, UNICEF Australia, BlazeAid Australia, and Australian Red Cross.
“We are so thankful for the partnership that we have with the giving machine and to all the communities that support us through donating all of our inspired gifts,” Zunilka Casmenco Whitnall, from UNICEF Australia, said in a social media video posted on the Giving Machine Hobart Facebook page. The video explained one of the donations that could be made through the giving machine and UNICEF.
When asked why they donated to the giving machine in Melbourne, one person said, “I wanted to give to a charity and I didn’t know who, until I saw the big red machine.”
Learn more about giving machines in Australia here.