Reverse vending machine allows Metro Detroiters to give back this holiday season

(CBS DETROIT) - The holiday season is all about the spirit of giving, and people in Detroit will be able to help someone else with the push of a button.

Detroit is one of only a handful of cities with a Giving Machine. This newer way to give back is as easy as buying a bag of chips.

"This is the first year the Giving Machines are coming to Michigan, and we're starting in Campus Martius," said Joan Johansson, a volunteer with the Giving Machine. "The giving machine is a reverse vending machine. We have five local charities and two international charities that you can purchase items for."

The Giving Machine is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints. People can buy clothes, medicine, food, and more. The essential items go directly to those who need them.

There's a chance for everyone to help. The gifts range in price from $5 to $250.

"Items as simple as a pair of socks for Pope Francis Center or as big as $250 where you can sponsor a community well for our international charity," Johannson said. "They represent things like a therapy session for a single mom or meals for somebody that is homebound. I absolutely love the charities that we are working with. Each of them represents a mission that is just incredible."

Once you pay for an item, a card with a photo of your donation falls into an enclosed display bin, and you leave with a digital receipt.

The Giving Machine will be available through Dec. 8.