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“[This vending machine] takes your cash just like any other, but it keeps the goods and not because it’s faulty” quips Forces Network, a UK media outlet focused on veterans’ affairs. In their recent coverage of the London opening of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ #LightTheWorld Giving Machines, they praised the help offered to local veterans. In each location, the machines specialize in local charities tackling local issues and London’s machines seem to particularly support these deserving citizens.
Donors to the machines can buy everything from a haircut for a veteran to a ride to a job interview to a winter coat. It’s a beautiful illustration of how effective development can’t just come from an outside perspective. Only locals can fully understand what is needed in their community. See some of the video coverage of the launch of the Hyde Park machines below: