April 3, 2025
Pictured Above: Elizabeth Saede and Dennis Schleicher of LDS Light the World celebrate the success of the Giving Machine fundraising campaign with the Hartford HealthCare Neighborhood Health and Hartford Hospital Philanthropy teams during a March 2025 presentation at Hartford Hospital.
Each year, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) celebrates the season of giving through its Light the World Giving Machines fundraising campaign, which benefitted more than 500 nonprofit organizations in 2024—including Hartford HealthCare Neighborhood Health.
Resembling traditional vending machines, Giving Machines provide a unique and memorable way to donate goods and services directly to people who need them, with 100% of operating costs covered by the LDS church. This past holiday season, one machine in Mystic offered passersby a menu of 30 different items they could fund for donation, five of which were selected by Neighborhood Health.
In collaboration with the campaign, Neighborhood Health operated a mobile clinic near the machine that provided a variety of health services to anyone who visited—including screenings, mental health counseling, medical referrals, education, and additional support.
Pictured Above: Elizabeth Saede, Lead Volunteer for Light the World, presents the number of items purchased through the Giving Machine to the Hartford HealthCare Neighborhood Health team.
130 items totaling $4,305 in value were spontaneously purchased for Neighborhood Health through the Giving Machine, which were later distributed to patients in underserved communities. The items included:
- 37 warm shelters
- 12 biodegradable body wipes
- 33 winter coats
- 44 wound care kits
- and four blood pressure monitors
“We are so grateful that Neighborhood Health provided a mobile clinic,” said Elizabeth Saede, Lead Volunteer for Light the World, during a March 2025 gift presentation at Hartford Hospital. “Not only were we able to learn more about Hartford HealthCare, but the community did as well. These 130 items mean that 130 people are more comfortable. People gave what they were most grateful for and we feel that this is just the beginning.”
“The Neighborhood Health team is immensely thankful to the LDS church for sponsoring the Giving Machines, and even more so to the thousands of community members that donated goods through the machines to benefit their neighbors in need,” said Candice Rountree, PA-C, of Hartford HealthCare’s Neighborhood Health. “We are amazed and grateful for the thousands of volunteer hours given willingly to promote the Giving Machine campaign. These donations will enable our team to build trust, lift people up, and provide healthcare. That’s what Neighborhood Health is all about.”
Pictured Above: Members of the Hartford HealthCare Neighborhood Health team celebrate the unveiling of the Giving Machine in Olde Mystick Village during the 2024 holiday season.
Fundraising for Hartford Hospital is fun, engaging, and easy! Visit our Become a Fundraiser webpage to explore the many ways you can fundraise in support of our mission.