POCATELLO — Nonprofits and the vulnerable populations they serve will receive an infusion of love and support when the Giving Machine program comes to East Idaho this holiday season.

Part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Light the World initiative, the program will provide select nonprofits in Pocatello, Idaho Falls and Rexburg with a variety of goods and services donated by area residents.

The vending style Giving Machine will first touch down outside the ICCU headquarters, located at 4400 Central Way in Chubbuck from Nov. 15 through Nov. 30.

Hemming Village in Rexburg will then host the machine Dec. 1 through Dec. 14 before it moves to the Grand Teton Mall in Idaho Falls from Dec. 15 through Jan. 1.

This is the first time the Giving Machine will grace the East Idaho area, providing an innovative way for local residents to give back to their communities and support their favorite nonprofits.

“Through the Giving Machine, members of the community can purchase items that go directly to help the homeless, youth and young families, abused children, babies, veterans, seniors and more,” said Sherri Matson, the Pocatello lead for the Giving Machine program. “Every item has a direct impact — a warm meal, a safe place to sleep or a small moment of joy for someone going through a difficult time. We are honored to bring awareness to the vital work of our local charities and support their missions together with the generosity and heart of our community. We know we can Light the World one small act of kindness at a time.”

Patrons can spend between $5 and $150 for items like hygiene kits, bedding essentials, application fees for housing along with myriad other charitable services to assist individuals and families who may be food insecure or without reliable housing. During the course of the initiative, donors can visit the Giving Machines between 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. all week, including Sundays and on Thanksgiving.

Weather permitting, guests in the Gate City area can also enjoy the splendor of the ICCU campus and its dazzling Christmas lights on the cusp of the holiday season in addition to photo opportunities and entertainment.

“The evenings are going to be absolutely beautiful and magical,” Matson said. “We wanted to have a Hallmark experience here in Pocatello and I think we’ll capture that.”

Depending on the city, each Giving Machine will focus on a different nonprofit and provide those organizations with a significant boost.

For Pocatello, interested benefactors will be able to purchase goods and services for Bannock Youth Foundation, Bright Tomorrows, Aid For Friends, United Way of Southeastern Idaho or Southeastern Idaho Community Action Agency.

Idaho Falls residents will be able to donate to six organizations that include Eastern Idaho Community Action Partnership, Idaho Falls Rescue Mission, Idaho Falls Community Food Basket, Friends In Service Here, Idaho Foster and Adoptive Parent Association, The Village and the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center.

Rexburg residents will also be able to contribute to the Eastern Idaho Community Action Partnership and the Idaho Falls Rescue Mission in addition to local organizations such as the Family Crisis Center, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Idaho and the Idaho Falls Humanitarian Center.

Tyler Perkins, the Idaho Falls Rescue Mission executive director, believes the success stories of those involved in his organization are extremely important. For Perkins, he believes that all responsible social services should be bringing in people and helping them get to sustainability as quickly as possible.

“We call it a hand up instead of a hand out,” Perkins said. “We do a lot of data collection and work making sure that the people that we’re helping want help and are getting better, not just handing out free stuff to enable them. We have lots of success stories, which is why we keep doing what we do.”

Perkins continued, “When you come to the mission, what we want for you is to experience a sort of life transformation that will bring you into sustainability and there’ll be no recidivism, which means no going back. We want people to get better and never have to experience homelessness or addiction or whatever they’re experiencing that’s putting them in a bad place ever again.”

For organizers like Matson, she’s encouraging individuals and businesses looking to make a significant impact with their contributions to do the 777 challenge. Inputting that number into a giving machine will purchase one of everything available. The price for every item for the Pocatello Giving Machine will be $1,227 and Matson is encouraging groups of friends and family members to rally together for a good cause.

But local giving isn’t the only thing the Giving Machine can do. The charitable initiative was previously used on an international scale and donors can even purchase livestock like goats and chickens for needy families and individuals across the globe through organizations like Care.org and righttoplayusa.org.

Thanks to the efforts of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its Giving Machine along with the support of other area religious groups, churches and nonprofit organizations, the most vulnerable populations in Idaho can feel an extra dose of love and support this holiday season.

“We’re excited to do our very best to make it a really welcoming atmosphere for anybody in our community,” Matson said. “We’ll have entertainment every day, all day. People can come and share their talents, read a story, play the piano and sing. We’ll be able to have experiences for families to bring their children to teach them the true spirit of Christmas through Christ-like giving.”