Convenient caring: ‘Giving Machines’ debut at Spokane Valley Mall to put charity within easy reach

As the scarlet ribbon across the Giving Machines hit the floor of the Spokane Valley Mall, a chorus of thunderous applause resounded through the food court.

Hundreds of people circled up and listened as leaders of charities, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and even a Paralympic world -record holder took turns addressing the crowd. Others stayed and listened as the YouTube-famous Crosby family sang Christmas tunes. But more importantly, people gathered to witness the unveiling of the innovative mechanisms described as “vending machines in reverse.”

The two Giving Machines that debuted Friday will be in the Spokane Valley Mall’s food court until Jan. 1, allowing people to purchase items and services for people in need locally and globally. Through this program, donating to a good cause is as easy as grabbing a Snickers bar from a candy dispenser.

“We’ve been trying for five or more years, since 2018 (to get them here),” said church Elder Hal Hunsaker. “So we’re excited to have it finally arrive in Spokane. It’s a chance, just a chance, to think more globally regarding giving and also partner with these wonderful local community nonprofits.”

The kiosk is a unique initiative that aims to make charity a bit easier for everyone.

The charities represented behind the spiral coils of the Giving Machines range from local partners offering emergency child care, food security, clothing and personal care items to international partners providing clean water access, meals for refugees and more.

Before the ribbon-cutting, rows of young kids sat cross-legged and mothers swayed with their babies as the entire crowd listened to a live rendition of “The First Noel.”

Dave and Ashley Crosby, along with their four children, recorded their first YouTube video 10 years ago. Today, the family has 4.65 million subscribers on YouTube and just recently moved to Spokane to be closer to Ashley’s mom.

“All the kids are uniquely musical,” Dave Crosby said. “We know that the oldest three all have perfect pitch, which is really cool. I don’t have perfect pitch either, so I don’t know where that came from. … Just trying to get everyone involved, and doing it all together as a family is like, what else can you want? Man, it’s so much fun to make music with your family.”

He and his family believe that music makes people feel unexplainable things that words often struggle to encapsulate.

Dave Crosby said they’ve supported the Giving Machine, which has raised over $44 million in donations since 2017, from the initiative’s inception. He said they were going to be at the event no matter what, but were honored when they were asked by the planning committee to perform.

But the Crosby family were not the only special guests attending the ribbon -cutting.

Lindi Marcusen, a Paralympian who broke an American record in 2024, spoke candidly about the impact Giving Machines can have, not just on the Spokane region, but around the globe.

“If we can just come together and organize ourselves and bring together resources,” she said, “the difference we can make in our community and the world is infinite.”

Marcusen also spoke about her journey and how it has shaped her into the person she is today.

In 2017, 13 days after her wedding, she was struck by an F350 and lost her right leg. After taking around a year and a half to recover, she was approached by the nonprofit Parasport Spokane and began training in 2019. Last year in Paris, the Spokane native broke the record for the fastest 100-meter dash recorded in Paralympic history.

“I think things just happen in life,” Marcusen said. “And you can let them break you open and spread more light, or you can let them galvanize you.”

Of the 25 to 30 charities that applied to be included in the Giving Machine, only seven were chosen. Five are local partners, while the other two, CARE and Water for Good, focus on providing humanitarian relief and clean water access/hygiene training, respectively.

Tyson Wise has served for the past 14 months as the regional director of donor relations in the western part of the United States as part of Water for Good. He travels all over the West making connections with donors and helping to provide clean, fresh water to people abroad.

He said it only takes $60 on average to provide clean water to a person over the course of a year. Little acts of generosity, like a person donating 20 bucks to the Giving Machine, can radically transform a stranger’s life. Water for Good emphasizes access to clean water, but they also focus on educating the populations they serve on sanitation practices and methods that keep people safe, happy and healthy.

“Even if you just provide a well or water point,” Wise said, “that access to clean and safe water, if you don’t deal with that sanitation, like with the pit latrines (low-cost toilet system) or the hand -washing, like 60, 70% of people are going to get waterborne illnesses and get really sick.”

Wise said that along with better sanitation practices comes a profound economic and social impact. Water for Good primarily operates in the Central African Republic, Cambodia, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Uganda. They work in the most rural, vulnerable areas, he said.

Closer to home, the Vanessa Behan charity centers around providing free services for children from the time they are born right up until they become teenagers.

“The purpose of our charity is to prevent child abuse and neglect,” said Lacey Renner, the development director for Vanessa Behan. “They were started (in 1987) after the death of Vanessa Behan when she was 2 years old. And so we provide respite care for children and families who are in crisis.”

Renner said stress on parents is the leading cause of neglect and abuse. Their organization attempts to give a bit of a break to parents by allowing them to bring their kids, aged 8 to 12, in for free child care for up to 72 hours. In addition, Vanessa Behan also provides parenting education, diapers, wipes, formulas and other resources to families in need.

Once the red ribbon over the Giving Machines dropped and the assembled crowd slowly began to meander home, some stayed afterwards to chat. Some spoke about their personal lives, others conversed about all the positive benefits the Giving Machines are sure to provide to the Spokane community and beyond. But the majority of conversations, whether those folks belonged to the church or not, spoke about the profound power that comes from doing something kind for someone else, even if it’s someone they will never meet.

“Our belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ is intertwined with the love of our neighbors and helping those who have needs,” Hunsaker said. “We know that we show our love to God by loving our neighbors, no matter what their circumstances may be.”