• 5 min read
• June 6, 2025

At Starbucks, we believe it is our responsibility to contribute positively to the communities we serve. All year round, our incredible partners across EMEA serve up more than just coffee: they support local people and places, driving positive impact wherever they operate. And April is a particularly special month in the calendar for Starbucks because it’s our Global Month of Good – when partners all over the world take off their aprons, roll up their sleeves, and venture out into the community to volunteer.

Since 2011, we’ve set aside the month of April for the Global Month of Good, encouraging partners all over the world to engage with their local communities and offer an extra pair of hands to different initiatives…

From a food bank in the heart of Milan to a hidden inner-city oasis in London, this year, partners across Europe stepped up in a variety of different ways. Join us as we catch up with Starbucks partners across the continent to find out how they showed up for their communities this month – and beyond.

Italy: Creating a buzz about food

Just outside Milan, in a fairly nondescript warehouse in Muggiò, twelve Starbucks volunteers from the Starbucks Reserve Roastery darefully got to work sorting through stockpiles of food that had been donated by the local community. They teamed up with Banco Alimentare, a food bank that distributes essential groceries to feed people across the Lombardy region in Northern Italy.

“I admired the community spirit and the energy of everyone involved. You could feel everyone’s desire to contribute and be part of something bigger.” – Nicholas, Loader Technician at Starbucks Reserve Roastery

Banco Alimentare was a recipient of the Starbucks Foundation Community Impact Grant – which, back in 2022, pledged to invest $30 million to support local communities all over the world by 2030. First launched by four friends back in 1989, Banco Alimentare has a simple but crucial mission: collecting food and redistributing it to those who need it the most. In doing so, they’re also fighting food waste.

“This experience gave me the opportunity to reflect on how much we waste every day. It’s encouraged me to further reduce my impact on the environment.” – Angela, Machine Operator at Starbucks Reserve Roastery

Meanwhile, back at the Milan Roastery, Starbucks partners gathered with members of Apilombardia, a local beekeeping association, for their annual honey and coffee-tasting event. It’s a celebration of flavour, community, and a unique partnership that has been quietly brewing since 2021.

Every few months, the Roastery’s manufacturing team donates hundreds of used burlap sacks – used to transport our coffee beans – to the beekeepers of Apilombardia. The rough, natural fibres of the burlap serve as insulation for beehives across the region, keeping colonies warm and dry during Italy’s changing seasons. The tasting session served as a delightful opportunity for the Roastery team to sample the honey produced by bees who now call our donated burlap sacks home!

United Kingdom: A helping hand in the kitchen

On a chilly spring morning in central London, a handful of Starbucks partners headed to the secluded community garden of St Luke’s Community Centre in Islington. From culinary classes to free cooked meals, St Luke’s – and its vibrant garden – is a vital hub for the local community.

The Starbucks EMEA Team weren’t afraid to get their hands dirty – literally. To help the staff of St Luke’s they spent the day mulching, pulling weeds, spreading compost and rescuing bean plants under siege from a pesky blackfly invasion.  

“It was a real joy to welcome the volunteers from Starbucks into the garden – your energy and enthusiasm made a real difference! Your hard work will help the garden thrive. Thank you for being part of our growing community!” – Jo King, Services Manager at St Luke’s Community Centre

United Kingdom: Abbey Community Centre Food Hub

In the Abbey Community Centre, Starbucks partners volunteered to help prepare and make soup and cake for “Soup-er Thursday”, as well as supporting in the low-cost cooking class in the afternoon to help teach locals how to cook healthy balanced meals on a budget.

“The Abbey Food Hub day was really special, it brought partners together from across the business and we all mucked in to peel, chop, bake our way to serving two delicious soups and a lovely lime drizzle cake for the local free community lunch “soup-er Thursday”, said Sophie Herrington, brand manager, channel development EMEA.

Sophie’s highlight of the day was “seeing members of the local community who might not get the ability to socialise that often come out and enjoy themselves. Jordan who worked at the center explained the importance of these events for the local elderly community, helping them to socialize and keep learning new skills. Overall, the day was really rewarding and I felt super lucky to have been a part of it.”

Switzerland: Pitching in for a cleaner community

In Zurich, Starbucks partners exchanged green aprons for green bibs and hit the streets, bin bags in hand. A handful of volunteers spent the day cleaning up their local neighbourhood, organised by two partners passionate about caring for their community – Florian Ernst and Ali Oezguer Cil. The best part? This wasn’t just a one-off – Florian, Ali, and their crew hope to work closely with the City of Zurich to support cleanup efforts on a regular basis.

“Thanks to everyone for joining us on the kick-off event for our collaboration with the city of Zurich. Now we (the Store Managers and Store Teams of Zurich) are looking forward to contributing to keep our neighbourhood clean in future.” – Ali Oezguer, Store Manager, Stauffacher Zürich