Light The World

Missionaries posed beside the giant #Light The World sign, placed temporarily for the ribbon-cutting celebration of the East Valley Giving Machines in Gilbert.

All photos by Robin Finlinson

Clockwise from bottom left:

Fran and Steve Lowder (center), the Arizona Giving Machines Directors, are flanked by football greats Todd Heap (left) and Ty Detmer (right).

Elder Michael Dunn of the North America Southwest Area Presidency and his wife Linda Dunn decide on what to purchase for their donation.

Elder John Lewis (at the podium), Elder Michael Dunn of the North America Southwest Area Presidency, and Karl Cheney of the Church’s Mission Department addressed the audience of dignitaries and other guests at the East Valley Giving Machines ribbon-cutting celebration.

An East Valley Giving Machine gets uncovered, after which patrons could begin making donations of needed items. Left to right: Divine Birume; Digne Birume; Dr. Grace Faraja Nkundabantu, Founder & CEO of African Girls Hope Foundation; Chandler City Councilmember Christine Ellis (in red); and Special Olympics Arizona athlete Ruthy Hodges.

The day before the ribbon-cutting celebration in the East Valley, missionaries loaded the Giving Machines with cards that represented donation items requested by the participating nonprofits.

Elder John Lewis, currently the Area Seventy over the Gilbert Area and formerly the mayor of that town, welcomed guests of multiple faiths to the ribbon-cutting celebration of the East Valley Giving Machines.

Sister missionaries helped train the Elders on how to use and maintain the Giving Machines. Missionaries were among the numerous volunteers ready to assist patrons during the weeks the machines were in operation. They also placed cards representing donated items back into their slots when the catch trays at the bottom of the machines filled up.