The Light the World Giving Machines will return to Ogden for a third year during the upcoming holiday season, according to a November 9 report. The machines, which are part of the Giving Machine Initiative sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, will be available for the full duration of the Ogden Christmas Village season.
A kickoff event is scheduled for Nov. 28, at 6 p.m. during the opening of Ogden’s Christmas Village. The event will feature a ribbon cutting by the Ogden-Weber Chamber of Commerce’s Spikers, remarks from Ogden Mayor Ben Nadolski, and performances by choirs from Davis and Weber School District schools.
Unlike the first two years when the machines were only available for two weeks and shared with Logan, the 2026 machines will be available for the entire Christmas Village season. The Christmas Village is scheduled to be open from Nov. 28, 2026, through Jan. 1, 2027. Doug DeFries, the Ogden City Lead for Light the World Giving Machine-Ogden, stated that the program has grown significantly over the last decade and noted that the machines will be available roughly twice as long as they were previously.
Local nonprofit beneficiaries for this year include the Seager Memorial Clinic, Ogden School Foundation, Lantern House, Young Caring for Our Young, and EyeCare4
Kids. In addition to these local organizations, global charities will also be available for contributions. DeFries noted that over 18,000 items were purchased in the machines last year, which helped secure the machines for a longer period this year despite a limited supply of the specialized vending machines.
The Giving Machine Initiative is a program sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that has operated for 10 years. These reverse vending machines are distributed globally across six continents and 126 cities, allowing people to purchase items for local and global charities.
