National food rescue program makes progress towards Starbucks 2030 sustainability goals by helping to eliminate food waste, while addressing growing food insecurity in Canada.

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Today, Starbucks Canada announced it will further expand Starbucks FoodShare food rescue program nationally in partnership with Second Harvest, Canada’s largest food rescue organization. The company has also reinforced its commitment to rescue 100 per cent of food available for donation to provide people in need with ready-to-eat meals, while helping to eliminate food waste from Starbucks stores.

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Food insecurity has risen sharply with the pandemic in Canada, growing by nearly 39% in the first few months of the crisis, resulting in 1 in 7 Canadians struggling to feed themselves and their families.* In 2019, <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2019/starbucks-foodshare-provides-food-to-those-in-need/">Starbucks announced FoodShare</a> in more than 250 stores in the Greater Toronto Area. While COVID-19 challenges put a pause on the expansion plans last year, Starbucks Canada and The Starbucks Foundation donated over $1 million of food and cash in 2020 to food banks, including Second Harvest&nbsp; and Food Banks Canada, and remains steadfast on helping to combat hunger and minimize its contribution to the wide-scale problem of food waste.

Beginning next month, Starbucks will expand FoodShare with Second Harvest to all Ontario Starbucks stores, followed by additional market launches in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, Yukon and Atlantic Canada. The company expects the expansion to be complete by end of September. &nbsp;

“Food insecurity is an enormous challenge in Canada that worsened during the pandemic,” says Luisa Girotto, vice president of Public Affairs, Starbucks Canada. “We want 100 per cent of our donatable food to go to those who need it most in the communities we operate in, while helping to eliminate food waste and make progress towards our aspiration of becoming a resource-positive company.”

“We’re delighted to see the expansion of Starbucks’ food donation program, which reflects the strength of their commitment to keeping healthy, delicious food where it belongs: with people, not in landfill,” said Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest. “As we continue to deal with the pandemic’s impact, supporting the health of communities and the environment is crucial and we all have a role to play, now more than ever. Starbucks’ leadership in food recovery will have a major, national impact.”

Safely donating chilled, perishable food including breakfast sandwiches, paninis, protein boxes, yogurt, milk and dairy alternatives like soy, oat and coconut is critical and Starbucks and Second Harvest&nbsp; have implemented standards to ensure that all food maintains the correct temperature, texture and flavour so that when it reaches a person in need, it can be safely enjoyed.

How rescuing food is impacting lives

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Since Starbucks FoodShare first launched in Ontario, the company has made over 20,000 donations, providing <a>382,986 </a>meals to their local communities. Thousands of Canadian&nbsp;Starbucks partners (employees) have helped by donating&nbsp;food as part of their store closing routine.&nbsp;

“Partners take great pride in being the catalyst for this program. Every time they work a closing shift, they are reminded of their impact by putting food in the refrigerator to be recovered for people who need it instead of the trash,” says Girotto.

The impact of Starbucks FoodShare can also start to be seen and heard in local communities across the country through the difference it’s making on the non-profit organizations and the people they seek to help.

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Our commitment in action

In 2020, Starbucks committed to a <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/kevin-johnson-letter-sustainability/">resource-positive future,</a> formalizing its sustainability commitment to cut its carbon, water, and waste footprints by half by 2030, aspiring to give more than it takes from the planet.

Starbucks FoodShare helps us limit avoidable food waste and diverting food surplus from landfill. To date, the program has prevented the release of more than 314,000 lbs of greenhouse gases and FoodShare will continue to be just one of the ways Starbucks is partnering with others to help take care of the planet we share.

*Source: <a href="https://blog.secondharvest.ca/2020/11/04/hunger-at-home-1-in-7-canadians-are-food-insecure-during-covid/">https://blog.secondharvest.ca/2020/11/04/hunger-at-home-1-in-7-canadians-are-food-insecure-during-covid/</a>

Today, Starbucks Canada announced it will further expand Starbucks FoodShare food rescue program nationally in partnership with Second Harvest, Canada’s largest food rescue organization.

Starbucks Canada Commits to Rescue 100 per cent of Food Available with National Expansion of FoodShare - Starbucks Canada

Starbucks Canada

Starbucks Canada Commits to Rescue 100 per cent of Food Available with National Expansion of FoodShare

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Recipients include Food Banks Canada, Second Harvest, Yonge Street Mission, and Woods Homes

Hunger is part of the COVID-19 crisis. Last year, there were 1.1 million visits to food banks per month, but in the past two weeks alone, there’s been a 20 per cent increase in use, according to Food Banks Canada. As COVID-19 evolves, that number is expected to climb even higher.

“My biggest concern is running out of food in food banks,” said Food Banks Canada CEO Chris Hatch said. “I am fearful of what’s coming around the corner with increased demand, so we’re trying to get additional food and bulk buy at a very large-scale volume and then transport it to the people that need it.”&nbsp;

This sudden spike in demand has put tremendous strain on food banks and community outreach organizations, who are experiencing a shortage of volunteers, staff, and food donations. “Many of the agencies we deliver to have had to shut their doors because they’re run by volunteers,” said Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest, Canada's largest food rescue organization. “A lot of seniors support non-profits and they’re our most compromised category of people — so we’ve had to change our system.” 

In order to comply with Public Health requirements of physical distancing, food banks and community outreach centers have had to adapt their operations. Now, instead of inviting people into their space to shop or share a meal, many have adjusted to meeting clients in designated pick-up spots with pre-packed food boxes. Others have moved to an appointment-only model to minimize crowds and some have even begun doing home deliveries.&nbsp;

“We’re working with partners to ensure we can actually change our system to get meals out to people. We’re trying to figure out solutions to get food right to their hands,” Nikkel said.

It’s obvious that hunger is part of the crisis, especially as many food banks are now facing a food shortage. Food banks “only have a 10 to 14-day supply on average, and [it’s] not being replenished fast enough,” Hatch said.&nbsp;

With stock diminishing so rapidly, it’s made it harder for vulnerable Canadians, such as the elderly, homeless, and people on social assistance or disability supports, to get access to food.&nbsp;

How Starbucks Canada and The Starbucks Foundation are helping

In response to this growing food crisis, Starbucks Canada and The Starbucks Foundation announced that, combined, they will donate over $1 million in food and financial support to help the complex changing realities of food banks and community outreach organizations. This includes helping them shift their operational needs and providing drivers from Starbucks Canada's&nbsp;foodservice distributor GFS (Gordon Food Service) to deliver food to those most in need.

Two-thirds of the support will come from Starbucks Canada in the way of food donations from its distribution centers to help replenish stock in food banks across the country. Assistance will be spread across Canada, helping among others: Moisson Food Bank in Montreal; Second Harvest in Toronto; Calgary Food Bank and Inn from the Cold in Calgary; and Quest Food Exchange, Surrey Food Bank, and Maple Ridge Food Bank in Vancouver.

Included in the over $1 million, The Starbucks Foundation will contribute financial support by donating $280,000 to <a href="https://foodbankscanada.akaraisin.com/Donation/Event/DonationInfo.aspx?seid=22099&amp;mid=48" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Food Banks Canada’s COVID-19 Response Fund (opens in a new tab)">Food Banks Canada’s COVID-19 Response Fund</a>. This contribution will help provide resources (for example, boxes for pre-packaged food) to local food banks so that they can adapt their operations to comply with physical distancing. It will also allow them to hire more staff to keep up with demand and allow them to replenish their dwindling stock.

Additionally, The Starbucks Foundation will donate $70,000 to Second Harvest. The funds will go towards the organization’s <a href="https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/DonationPage.aspx?eventid=311023" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund</a> to support the delivery, redistribution, and logistics of the food donation supply chain during the pandemic.&nbsp;

“We are grateful for the support of Starbucks and The Starbucks Foundation to ensure that people can access the food they need to be healthy,” CEO Nikkel said. “This donation helps keep our trucks on the road... to move the food and coordinate where it’s going.”

And finally, Starbucks Canada is donating $24,000 to its existing social agency partners, <a href="https://www.ysm.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">Yonge Street Mission</a> in Toronto and <a href="https://www.woodshomes.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">Woods Homes </a>in Calgary, to help meet their increased demand to produce meals for the vulnerable youth they serve.

Supporting food banks is just one way Starbucks Canada and The Starbucks Foundation are <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" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">responding to COVID-19</a>. Earlier this month, The Starbucks Foundation <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" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">donated $200,000</a> to support COVID-19 drives with hospital foundations across the country, and to support the United Way Centraide’s COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund to ensure vulnerable Canadians have basic needs during the pandemic. Additionally, since March 26, Starbucks Canada has been <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/starbucks-partners-covid-19-front-line-responders/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">offering free coffee to first responders</a> as a way to say thank you for the incredible service they’re providing Canadians.

It’s important that we all do what we can to help each other in this time of need. Starbucks is making it easy for its customers to donate to their local food banks, if they can. Visit the <a href="https://foodbankscanada.akaraisin.com/Starbucks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">Starbucks donation page on Food Banks Canada</a> or find the link on the Starbucks app to donate today. Your contribution will ensure vulnerable Canadians have food now and when the pandemic is over.&nbsp;

About The Starbucks Foundation

The Starbucks Foundation strengthens humanity by transforming lives across the world, with a focus on enabling community resiliency and prosperity and uplifting communities affected by disaster. Established in 1997, The Starbucks Foundation is a Section 501(c)(3) charitable organization under U.S. law. <a href="https://www.starbucks.ca/responsibility%2Fcommunity%2Fstarbucks-foundation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">Learn more at here</a>.

Two-thirds of the support will come from Starbucks Canada in the way of food donations from its distribution centers to help replenish stock in food banks across the country.

Starbucks Canada and The Starbucks Foundation Donate over $1M in Food and Financial Support to Help the Food Crisis

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