Starbucks Kicks Off 4th Annual Global Month of Service, Advances on 2015 Global Responsibility Goals

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Starbucks Coffee Company SBUX today announced the launch of its 4th annual Global Month of Service, with Starbucks partners (employees), customers and community members once again coming together to help contribute more than one million community service hours per year by 2015. This program supports the advancement of Starbucks Global Responsibility Goals which were designed to help make communities stronger through ethical sourcing, environmental stewardship and community engagement.

Building on last year's success, Starbucks will collaborate with more than ten organizations for Global Month of Service projects including Alaska Airlines, King Soopers, Deloitte, and Fidelity Investments. This year, Starbucks will also collaborate with global clothing retailer UNIQLO to co-host community service projects in five cities around the world. Starbucks estimates more than 55,000 volunteers will come together this month to participate in 2,000 projects in 40 countries fostering long-term, positive change in neighborhoods around the world.

“Since Starbucks opened its doors more than four decades ago, we have always set out to be a different kind of company,” said Blair Taylor, chief community officer and executive vice president of Partner Resources at Starbucks. ”Our hope is that through service, individuals, businesses and others will be inspired to come together to help build stronger communities. It's a powerful example of how Starbucks is using its global scale for good, inspiring and nurturing the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.”

In collaboration with participating organizations, Starbucks will host a range of projects for volunteers, from organizing food drives for low-income families to broader rebuilding or environmental efforts, including the following:

• Seattle: More than 700 volunteers from Starbucks, Alaska Airlines and the local community will come together to support the United Way of King County's spring Community Resource Exchange, helping provide services to those in need such as job training assistance and assembling hygiene kits.
• Atlanta: More than 600 volunteers from Starbucks, Teavana, Hands On Atlanta and the community will participate in outdoor restoration projects in four local neighborhoods.
• Denver: More than 1,000 volunteers from Starbucks and King Soopers will help clean up local parks and recreation centers. Volunteers will also assemble fishing poles provided by the Denver Mountain Parks Foundation to encourage park usage and family outings.
• New York: Around 500 volunteers from Starbucks, Deloitte and UNIQLO will participate in a range of activities, including painting murals, building garden boxes, bookshelves, and sturdy recycling receptacles, and organizing art supply drives for students at the Harry Van Arsdale Educational Complex.
• Chicago: More than 750 volunteers in collaboration with Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago and Chicago Cares, will support home renovations and school improvements that will benefit local families.
• Miami: More than 350 volunteers will work with Lakeview Elementary School to refurbish school property, paint educational murals, and construct an outdoor classroom, part of a continued effort with City Year Miami to help boost student morale in South Florida schools.

To coincide with today's launch of Global Month of Service, Starbucks also released its 13th Global Responsibility Report, which highlights the company's progress on long-term goals for community engagement, sustainability and ethical sourcing following a record fiscal year.

Highlights of the report include:

• Starbucks ethically sourced 95% of all coffee through C.A.F.E. Practices, Fairtrade, or another externally audited system, moving closer to its goal of ethically sourcing 100% of all coffee by 2015.
• Since opening its first LEED® certified store in Hillsboro, Oregon in 2005, Starbucks has expanded its LEED store program to 18 countries in 2013, now in more regions than any other global retailer.
• In 2013, Starbucks, its customers and collaborating organizations around the world contributed more than 630,000 hours of community service, helping more than 2.4 million beneficiaries globally.

“As 2015 comes into view, we recognize this is not the end of our commitments but just the beginning of how we take the lessons we have learned and apply them to our future direction,” said John Kelly, senior vice president, Global Responsibility and Public Policy. “Everything we have done helps to inform our ongoing responsibility to the communities we serve and to do so in a way that brings others along on this journey with us.”

For a comprehensive overview on Starbucks progress across all community investment, environmental sustainability and ethical sourcing goals, visit: http://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/global-report.

About Starbucks
Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with stores around the globe, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at www.starbucks.com.