Starbucks partners have served more than 1 million cups of free coffee to first responders and front-line health care workers during the COVID-19 outbreak, the company announced Thursday.

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Since March 25, Starbucks has been giving out free tall brewed (hot or iced) coffees to first responders and front-line health care workers and will continue to do so through the end of May. &nbsp;

For many of those working long hours caring for those who are sick or in need, a cup of coffee can represent a bright spot in their day and give them a much-needed boost, some say.

Behind each cup of coffee served are Starbucks partners across Canada and the United States committed to helping show their support and admiration to those on the front lines, whether that means delivering coffee to those who need it, writing notes of encouragement to accompany each order and more. Here are some of their stories:

A small act of kindness for long-term care facilities

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Long-term care facilities are particularly vulnerable at this time, but the nurses who work there can feel overlooked. To ensure they felt taken care of, Starbucks store manager Maria Gaw, of Airdrie, Alberta, organized a delivery of coffee travelers to two local long-term homes.

Maria’s partner, Kayla Noordhof, is training to be a health care aide and helped her contact the facilities to ensure they would accept the token of appreciation. One of the nurses she got in touch with broke down crying when she called.&nbsp;

“It’s moments like this that make me proud to be a partner,” Gaw says. “The nurse was so appreciative of the kind gesture. She was grateful that we remembered that they were working just as hard (if not harder) as our hospital nurses.”&nbsp;

Since then, Gaw and her Starbucks team have continued donating coffee at least once a week “just to keep our nurses happy and show that we care.”

Special delivery to Washington D.C. police stations

For the last 18 months, Adam Modzel has been strengthening the relationship between Starbucks and local police departments by hosting 100 “Coffee with a Cop” events at Starbucks stores, helping secure a grant to the Washington D.C. Police Foundation, and outreach efforts on Law Enforcement Appreciation Day.

When the pandemic hit, Modzel, Starbucks regional director in Washington D.C., had to shut down 98 out of 100 stores he supervises.

Regardless, he made a commitment to keep that work going. Starbucks district managers, store managers and store partners have volunteered to brew and deliver coffee to every single D.C. Police station every afternoon for roll call. Fifty cups of coffee for each of the 11 stations. Every single day for the last four weeks.

“I’m always inspired by our partners, but this is next level,” Modzel says. “They're choosing every day to show up to serve their customers and their communities. We’ve had hundreds of partners do that. It shows how extraordinary our people are.”

Connecting with the community

One of the perks of being a Starbucks partner is having the opportunity to take home a free pound of coffee or one box of tea as a markout each week. Taking advantage of this perk, two Starbucks stores in West Kelowna, B.C. decided to collect their markouts and donate them to emergency service workers.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for ALL district partners to come together to recognize and thank front-line responders,” said store manager Shannon LeBlanc. “It allows partners from closed stores and those in quarantine to stay connected to our community as well!”

Altogether, the Starbucks partners donated eight bags of goodies to local fire departments, ambulance attendants, and the Kelowna General Hospital. Each bag was filled with three pounds of coffee, one box of tea and one box of Starbucks® VIA® Instant® coffee. 

“We are always looking for ways to continue recognizing front-line responders,” added LeBlanc.

On call for first responders

Ambulances and other first-responder vehicles often don’t fit through standard drive-thru lanes, and even if they do, they don’t want to be stuck in line in case an emergency arises.

That’s why Thomas Winklebeck, Starbucks store manager in Skokie, Ill., has handed out his personal cell phone number to the Skokie Fire Department. They call him direct, so he can walk out to the parking lot or the front of the store and deliver drinks to first responders and “service those that put their life on the line for all of us on a daily basis.” 

“Four years ago I had open heart surgery and by the grace of god, I was given a second chance,” Winklebeck says. “From that day forward I always said every day I’m gonna be the best possible person I can be today.”

Creating normalcy in an abnormal time

Thanks to a family connection, a Starbucks team in Vaughan, Ont. was able to deliver a big container of coffee to their regional paramedic department.

Starbucks shift supervisor Genevie Acebedo’s brother works for the logistics team at the department. She helped deliver the coffee and a short note of encouragement on behalf of her Starbucks store.

“Just like our Starbucks mission, we believe that through a simple cup of coffee we can show our support to inspire those who continue to serve our community,” said Acebedo’s store manager, Bettina Ann Relopez. “We want to be a reminder to our front-line workers that even though these times are difficult, we will be here to create that sense of normalcy for them.”&nbsp;

Supporting front-line responders in the community has become very important to Relopez’s team during the pandemic. Each week, the Starbucks partners deliver coffee to a different institution to show their care and appreciation.

Behind each cup of coffee served are Starbucks partners across Canada and the United States committed to helping show their support and admiration to those on the front lines, whether that means hand delivering coffee to those who need it, writing notes of encouragement to accompany each order and more.

Starbucks Gives over 1 Million Cups of Free Coffee to Front-Line Responders in Canada and the U.S. (and Counting)

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As this global health crisis has evolved, we’ve seen Starbucks partners (employees) across Canada reach out to hospital and emergency staff, firefighters, police, and countless others with <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/starbucks-partners-supporting-front-line-responders-in-canada-and-the-us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">incredible acts of support and kindness</a> – and free coffee.

The vast community efforts of Starbucks store partners inspired the company to expand on its existing support for first responders, which included keeping cafés open, in or around hospitals and health care centers to serve first responders, health care workers, and their incredible support staff.

On March 25, Starbucks announced that any customer who identified as a front-line responder to the COVID-19 outbreak would receive a <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/starbucks-partners-covid-19-front-line-responders/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tall brewed coffee (hot or iced) at no charge</a>.

As of today, we can proudly say that over the last few weeks, our partners have served more than one million cups of free coffee to first responders and front-line healthcare workers across Canada and the U.S. That number will only continue to grow, as Starbucks announced today that it will extend this offer of free coffee to front-line workers until the end of May.

In Canada, specifically, our partners have served more than 112,000 cups to front-line workers. But coffee isn’t the only way Starbucks is supporting those who are serving our communities through the COVID-19 crisis. Earlier this month, The Starbucks Foundation announced a <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/starbucks-extends-covid-19-support-for-partners/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">$100,000 donation to COVID-19 fundraising drives</a> set up by hospital foundations in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal.

Amid this uncertain time, there’s been <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/starbucks-partners-covid-19-front-line-responders/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">no shortage of good deeds</a> from our store partners who have continued to find ways to support those who are keeping our communities safe.

We want to thank our first responders for all that they’re doing for us. These front-line workers are committed to serving our communities, and we are committed to serving them.

To see all that Starbucks is doing in response to COVID-19, please <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/what-customers-need-to-know-about-starbucks-response-to-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">visit our at-a-glance overview</a>.&nbsp;

In Canada, specifically, our partners have served more than 112,000 cups to front-line workers. But coffee isn’t the only way Starbucks is supporting those who are serving our communities through the COVID-19 crisis.

Starbucks has Served over 1 Million Cups of Free Coffee to First Responders who are Tirelessly Serving our Communities

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As this global health crisis has evolved over the past few weeks, we’ve seen Starbucks partners across Canada reach out to hospital and emergency staff, firefighters, police, grocery store workers and countless others with incredible acts of support and kindness – and free coffee!&nbsp;

The vast community efforts of Starbucks store partners inspired the company to broaden its <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/starbucks-canada-to-close-cafes-and-move-to-drive-thru-and-delivery-only/" target="_blank">support to first responders</a>. Starting today through May 3, any customer who identifies as a front-line responder to the COVID-19 outbreak will receive a tall brewed coffee (hot or iced) at no charge.&nbsp;

One of the inspiring stories we heard took place in Toronto’s Cliffside neighbourhood. There, store partners took the initiative to personally fund a Starbucks gift card to give free coffee to first responders.

The idea came about last week after the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/starbucks-canada-to-close-cafes-and-move-to-drive-thru-and-delivery-only/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">closure of cafés</a> caused lengthy drive-thru lines to form. Baristas witnessed multiple first responders — majority of who are regulars — leave the long line without getting their coffee, so the team came together to top up a gift card with $250.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Many of my baristas felt bad and wanted to do something, so we came up with the idea of giving them free coffee without the wait. If we see [a first responder] in line, we ask them to park, get their orders and deliver them to their cars,” store manager Aleena Zafar explained.&nbsp;

“In the last four days we have seen almost twice the amount of first responders. They are so grateful for us just being open. The free coffee is just a bonus.”&nbsp;

During these times of uncertainty, these thoughtful gestures can go a long way, which is why Starbucks is following the lead of our store partners to provide free coffee to all front-line workers.&nbsp;

Starbucks is committed to doing what’s right for its partners, customers, and communities, and has expanded its resources and support accordingly while <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/navigating-through-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">navigating through COVID-19</a>. This includes giving all store partners, whether they work or not, 30-day catastrophe pay for scheduled shifts, waiving eligibility requirements for the company’s emergency financial aid CUP Fund, and keeping select stores open to serve first responders and communities with limited food options.

Our partners inspire us every day. Read on to hear more about the incredible acts of kindness our partners have done for first responders thus far.

Jennifer Mccaugherty, a store manager in Kingston, Ont., shares how her team organized a safe drop-off of Starbucks coffee to their local emergency department.

“My wife is an emergency room nurse. She is on mat leave, but has been checking in on the hospital Facebook page. We saw that they had started to shut down the food and beverage vendors in the hospital, so we jumped on it, messaged the hospital, and took orders for that day’s workers!&nbsp;

We got orders for 28 handcrafted beverages and coffees. We [wrote] thank you notes on each cup [with] the health care worker’s name. We had a worker meet us outside to fill up a cart with all the beverages and bring them into the people working.&nbsp;

We want to help make the world a better place, and we have the chance to do that every day with every customer that crosses our paths. The people in our emergency department were delighted by our generosity. They said it helped them get through their 12 to 16 hour shifts.”

&nbsp;Ann-Marie Lee, a Vancouver store manager, shares why her team is proud to serve the Vancouver Police Headquarters during this time.

“The hashtag #strongerthancoffee really resonates as my team has taken pride [in being] chosen to stay open to share smiles and spread positivity during this sensitive time. If only for a few minutes we can spread joy, love and recharge our first responders so they can continue the important work they are doing out in the public, it is a win for us.

It’s also about uplifting people and doing our best so that our first responders [and] essential services can show up as their best selves. It means you’re not just making coffee – you’re making a difference.

I cannot say how grateful I am for partners from surrounding stores and districts offering their help so we can do this important work.”

David Wafler-Thomas, a store manager in St. Albert, Alta., shares how his team is spreading positivity in their tight-knit community.

“Three of my baristas asked if it would be OK if they spread some cheer to local grocery outlets, as well as our local hospital by [delivering] coffee travellers. Naturally I was overwhelmed with pride and I strongly encouraged them to do so. Each organization was so appreciative and grateful. We have received multiple phone calls of thanks, as well as some shout-outs on Instagram!

One of my other partners reached out to me and said he wanted to load $100 on his own Starbucks app so he could treat customers just to see them smile. What that did is create a chain reaction of ‘paying it forward.’ A woman from our community picked up on this and created a post on Facebook explaining what [this partner] was doing and encouraged others to stop by and donate to him so he could continue to create amazing best moments for our customers. So far he has had multiple people stop by with no intention of purchasing products, but just to be able to contribute to his ‘pay it forward’ funds.

Currently we are the only Starbucks open in our community so we have become the local hub for many Starbucks lovers. It brings me so much pride and joy to see the power of humanity and community come together to create truly beautiful best moments for all!”

We’ve seen Starbucks partners across Canada reach out to front-line responders and countless others with incredible acts of kindness – and free coffee!

Starbucks Partners Bring Coffee and Comfort to COVID-19 Front-line Responders

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