Denver Giving Machines inspire direct donations for specific needs

The Giving Machines have raised about $2 million for 28 charities in Denver since 2019. They are vending machines that allow you to make specific donations to select charities. Each year five local charities and two global groups are chosen to be in the machines. This year's charities are Canine Partners of the Rockies, Children's Diabetes Foundation, Family Promise of Greater Denver, Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, Mile High United Way, iDE and Days for Girls.

"We're just so grateful to be part of the giving machines," said Christine Benero, President & CEO of the Mile High United Way. 

Donation price points range from $10 to $250 and go to very specific donation items, like diapers for Mile High United Way. 

"We really wanted to put things in that would make a difference for families," Benero explained.

The cost of the Giving Machines is covered by the Church of the Latter Day Saints, so that every dollar that is donated goes straight to the organizations. 

"If you spend $10 on diapers, that $10, all $10 will be spent on diapers provided to a family," Benero said. 

Luisa Hernandez is a mother of two, a 2-year-old and an 8-month-old. She welcomes some help with a high cost necessity like diapers. 

"Anyone that has children knows babies don't only use 25 diapers. Of course you want to get the big packs like that, that's a hefty $45 to $50 already," she said. 

Getting diapers through the Mile High United Way's Bridging the Gap program is a hefty savings in Hernandez's tight budget. The Bridging the Gap program has made a huge difference in her life. It offered her a lifeline as she aged out of the foster care system. 

"I was at the homeless shelter about 8 months before I was introduced to Mile High United Way and Bridging the Gap," Hernandez explained. 

Bridging the Gap is specifically designed to help young people transition out of the foster care system. It focuses on getting them into sustainable housing and wraps them in services that helps them become successful adults. 

"It was a weight off my shoulders because for so long I had to live walking on eggshells ... trying to come up with bus money for the next day, and where can I go for another meal, and I have to be back in the shelter before I don't get my bed," Hernandez told CBS News Colorado. 

Now, Hernandez is getting her GED. She has plans to become a dental hygienist. Her two kids are thriving because their mother is strong and stable. 

"I know for a fact without the help of Mile High United Way, I would still be here," she said while using her hand to indicate down low.  "Because they were my stepping stone. They were my backbone when I wasn't strong." 

With the help of the Giving Machines, this year, any one can be a stepping stone for those who need it the most. 

LINK: The Giving Machines

The Giving Machines are located on Fillmore Plaza in Cherry Creek North. They will be open through Sunday, January 5, 2024.