Bellevue residents will be able to donate meals, housing support and employment services through charitable vending machines installed at the Festival of the Nativity starting Dec. 5.
The Light the World Giving Machines, sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, will be stationed at 15205 SE 28th St. in Bellevue through Dec. 13. The machines are part of a Puget Sound tour that launched Monday, Nov. 9, at the Amazon Spheres in Seattle.
Every dollar donated at the machines reaches a participating charity, according to the campaign's website. The machines accept credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. No cash.
Ten nonprofits benefit
The campaign supports 10 nonprofits and two international organizations, CARE and UNICEF. Participants include Family Promise, First Step Family Support Center, Orion Industries, A Step Ahead, Thurston County Food Bank, El Centro de la Raza, LINC NW, Vine Maple Place, Take the Next Step and Seattle Angels.
Orion Industries, which operates training facilities in Auburn and Mukilteo, provides employment support for people seeking work, according to the organization's website.
Charities can stay in the program for two years before rotating out, giving other organizations a turn, Stevenson said.
Free festival wraps around the machines
The Giving Machines will sit inside the Bellevue Festival of the Nativity, a free Christmas celebration running for more than a decade. The festival runs Dec. 5–13 from 1 to 9 p.m. daily and features more than 500 crèches from around the world, daily live musical performances and children's activities.
A Messiah Sing-Along with orchestra and choir is scheduled for 7 p.m. Dec. 6.
After the Bellevue stop, the machines move to Seattle Premium Outlets in Tulalip for a grand opening at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 14.
