The Starbucks Foundation and Starbucks Indonesia announce a joint donation to provide humanitarian aid in Gaza

Donation reinforces company’s commitment to positively contribute to communities as the brand celebrates 22 years in the market

The Starbucks Foundation and Starbucks licensee partner PT Sari Coffee Indonesia announced a joint donation of IDR 5 billion (approximately US$314,000) to World Central Kitchen to enable the nonprofit to provide over 100,000 meals to people in Gaza.

Celebrating its 22nd anniversary in Indonesia, the donation further underscores the company’s commitment to the community. This donation builds on the US $3 million contribution made by The Starbucks Foundation and Alshaya Starbucks to World Central Kitchen earlier this year.

“In response to the situation in Gaza, we are extending our support to the World Central Kitchen, which is at the forefront of responding to the hunger crisis and providing vital food aid to people in need. Our philanthropic support together with The Starbucks Foundation exemplifies our enduring mission to strengthen humanity, one that has formed the cornerstone of our journey over the past 22 years in Indonesia,” said Anthony Mc Evoy, leader of PT Sari Coffee Indonesia. He also added, “Our Indonesian partners (employees) furthermore are committed to making a collective donation in the month of May. Lastly, we will continue to support this initiative by giving a percentage of sales of our handcrafted beverages and whole bean coffee sourced from Sumatra. Efforts like these demonstrate and highlight how we are working to bring our promises to life.”

Established in 1997, The Starbucks Foundation is the company’s global charitable arm that strives to positively impact people and communities by supporting nonprofit organizations in partnership with Starbucks partners, licensee partners, and others. A primary disaster relief partner of The Starbucks Foundation since 2019, World Central Kitchen has spearheaded disaster relief efforts, delivering food aid to impacted communities around the world, including Indonesia.

“Starbucks has always stood for more than just coffee. Reaffirming our promise of contributing positively, we’re doing our part to provide humanitarian relief,” said Emmy Kan, senior vice president and president of Starbucks Asia Pacific.

Tunde Wackman, Chief Development Officer from World Central Kitchen, added, “We are grateful for the joint donation from Starbucks Indonesia and The Starbucks Foundation, a longtime supporter of our humanitarian efforts. The donation will go a long way in providing immediate relief for people in dire need in Gaza, while enabling us to continue delivering aid to impacted communities across the world.” 

Through a long-standing partnership with PT Sari Coffee Indonesia since 2002, Starbucks now operates over 580 stores in Indonesia with nearly 5,400 partners who proudly wear the green apron. Over its 22-year journey, Starbucks Indonesia has spearheaded meaningful initiatives that uplift local communities. This includes the Starbucks Creative Youth Entrepreneurship Program created in partnership with Prestasi Junior Indonesia which empowers youth through experiential learning in entrepreneurship; the opening of a Signing Store dedicated to creating equal opportunities for the local Deaf and hard of hearing community; and the construction of AquaTowers with Planet Water Foundation to provide access to safe drinking water and handwashing stations as well as hygiene education to communities in need.

For more than five decades, Starbucks has been sourcing Indonesian coffee and is one of the country’s largest buyers of Arabica coffee, contributing to the local economy and farming communities. In 2015, it opened its Farmer Support Center in North Sumatra, where Starbucks agronomists work closely with coffee farmers to ensure sustainable farming practices and improve the resilience, quality, and size of their harvests.  Starbucks Indonesia also has donated over 500,000 coffee tree seeds since 2017 in Sumatra and West Java. In addition, as part of its goal to reach 1 million women in coffee by 2030, The Starbucks Foundation has supported several projects that connect women in coffee-growing communities across Indonesia to leadership training, water and sanitation, and economic opportunities.

To donate to World Central Kitchen, please visit the World Central Kitchen donation website.