Bob Ingils 007 - Starbucks Stories

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Stories to inspire and nurture the human spirit

Starbucks Stories

Community - Starbucks Stories

Former South Carolina Republican congressman Bob Inglis, who once scoffed at climate change, overcame a humiliating defeat by deciding to take on skeptics within his party.

Upstanders: The Disappearing Island

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Inclusion &amp; Diversity

Opportunity

The Starbucks Foundation

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Seattle firefighter Mike Washington told colleagues about some of his most painful and personal moments to encourage them to seek help and draw more attention to stress among our nation’s first responders.

Upstanders: The Firefighters’ Rescuer

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Upstanders Ami Vitori-Kimener 001 - Starbucks Stories

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Ami Vitori gave up a successful big-city career and tapped her retirement fund to help rebuild the struggling Rust Belt community of Middletown, Ohio.

Upstanders: Saving Middletown

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Upstanders Hansel Tookes 007 - Starbucks Stories

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Hansel Tookes spent four years on a life-saving mission to convince Florida legislators to allow drug users in Miami to exchange dirty needles for clean ones.

Upstanders: One Doctor’s Needle Fix

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The Encircle House is shown with a Mormon temple in the background in Provo, Utah. (Joshua Trujillo, Starbucks)

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Stephenie Larsen forged past fear and skepticism to create the first LGBT community center in Provo, Utah, in an attempt to reduce suicides among gay teens and build bridges with the Mormon Church.

Upstanders: Love for All in Utah

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Heather McGhee and Garry Civitello talk at the Triangle Park mural in Asheville, NC. The mural commemorates much of the area's African American History. Civitello's exchange with McGhee on C-Span went viral in 2016 after he admitted to her on a call-in show that he was prejudiced and wanted to change.

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When Garry Civitello admitted he was prejudiced on national television, a black woman offered him advice to become a better American. The exchange transformed his life and forged a remarkable friendship.

Upstanders: A Racist’s Rehabilitation

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Entrepreneur Brandon Dennison decided to address poverty in his native West Virginia by extending a hand of opportunity to former coal miners.

Upstanders: Planting Hope in a Coalfield

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Ian Manuel was just 13 when he shot Debbie Baigrie. A year into his life sentence, he called her to apologize. That eventually led to her forgiveness, an unlikely friendship and a mission to help free him.

Upstanders: Befriending Her Shooter

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Mary Poole is shown with a young refugee at Soft Landing Missoula. (Joshua Trujillo, Starbucks)

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Mary Poole, a mother with no background in foreign policy, convinced her community to welcome refugees by harnessing hundreds of volunteers and embracing her opponents.

Upstanders: From War to Montana

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One More Wave in San Diego, California. (Joshua Trujillo, Starbucks)

One More Wave in San Diego, California. (Joshua Trujillo, Starbucks) - Starbucks Stories

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Navy SEALs Alex West and Kyle Buckett spend their nights and weekends designing specialized surfboards for wounded warriors, helping them find strength and confidence in the waves.

Upstanders: The Wave to Recovery

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Chad Houser is shown with his young interns at Cafe Momentum in Dallas, Texas. (Joshua Trujillo, Starbucks)

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A chef bets his career on a restaurant run by former juvenile delinquents. Chad Houser quit his job as the executive chef at a hot Dallas eatery and risked his career to open a restaurant staffed almost exclusively by former juvenile detention inmates.

Upstanders: Knives, Fire and Opportunity

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Produced by Howard Schultz and Rajiv Chandrasekaran, Upstanders help inspire us to be better citizens.

Stories of extraordinary courage in unexpected places

Upstanders, A Starbucks Original Series: Stories of extraordinary courage in unexpected places

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Upstanders Season 2 is a collection of short stories celebrating ordinary people doing extraordinary things to create positive change in their communities. These stories of courage and humanity remind us that we all have the power to make a difference.

Stories (13)

Upstanders Season 2

English

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