Giving Machines opening to public at Gathering Place in Tulsa

TULSA, Okla. — The Giving Machines are now at Tulsa’s Gathering Place and will open to the public on Tuesday.

Giving Machines are like vending machines, but they allow you to donate supplies to local charities.

The Giving Machines are a concept that started in 2017 and now it’s here in Tulsa.

You use your phone or card to pay and you choose an item to donate to the nonprofit organization of your choice.

The Giving Machines were made to serve as an easy act of service.

A way for anyone to go and donate to a local or global charity.

Giving Machines is partnered with five local charities and two global charities.

There are cards with different items on them that range in price from $10 to $250.

They have items like coats, a baby stroller, holiday meals or even goats and a beehive.

FOX23 spoke to the director of giving machines, Mike Grass.

He said Tulsa is now one of the 106 locations to participate in their mission.

He also said to see something that started off so small turn into something so big across the country.

“I never thought it would get to this point. It really started small and the fact that so many locations are raising their hand to host a Giving Machine. It’s also fun to see the impact it’s made on the community. So when you buy a soccer ball, when you’re buying shoes, when you’re buying food, they go right into those charities’ hands at the time they need it the most,” Grass said.

The Giving Machines will be available just outside of Williams Lodge starting on Tuesday morning.

FOX23 spoke to a few people who had never heard of the giving machines before, but now plan to check them out.

“We frequently visit the Gathering Place, so I know I’ll definitely be here with my family. We love giving to nonprofits and just investing in the community and so we definitely believe while we’re out here, we’ll give to an organization,” said Dalicia Gardner, a Tulsa resident.

Another Tulsa resident, Tommie Shannon, thinks the Giving Machines are a great opportunity to give back locally or globally around this time of year.

“I think a really great opportunity of just giving back whether it’s in Tulsa or globally just gets the focus off of ourselves this Christmas or even Thanksgiving. It just gives us that opportunity to be a light to someone else,” Shannon said.

Jessie Cochran said it feels good to see the machines come to the City of Tulsa.

“It’s good to bring it into the small communities where you can really feel like you’re making a difference even though we’re so close. We can feel like we’re giving back to something bigger than ourselves,” Cochran said.

With something so simple yet so impactful, Valeria Guadarrama said she’s excited to be a part of the Giving Machines’ mission.

“With a small token of this project is something very impactful and I’m grateful to be able to be a part of it even in a very small way,” Guadarrama said.

The Giving Machines will be at Gathering Place through Dec. 2.