In September 2021, Starbucks <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2021/starbucks-announces-community-impact-partnership-with-seattle-kraken-ice-hockey-team/">opened its 21st U.S. Community Store</a> inside the Kraken Community Iceplex (KCI) in Seattle’s Northgate neighborhood. Since opening, the store has become a community fixture, serving customers and committing a dedicated portion of its sales receipts to benefit local community programs.

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This past weekend, Starbucks proudly presented its second Puck Drop Grant to <a href="https://www.northhelpline.org/">North Helpline</a>, a community organization in the Northgate neighborhood. The $50,000 grant will directly benefit North Helpline’s Homelessness Prevention program.

With a mission “to inspire and nurture the human spirit, one cup, one person and one neighborhood at a time,” Starbucks believes we have a responsibility to strengthen our communities. That commitment began in our hometown of Seattle 50 years ago and remains true at the company today.

Below is a series of photos, highlighting our partnership with the Seattle Kraken at our KCI store over the last year:

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The Kraken’s newly announced mascot, Buoy the sea troll, joins partners behind the bar of the KCI Community Store. The store is especially popular with kids.

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Mari Horita, Senior Vice President, Social Impact &amp; Government Relations,&nbsp;Seattle Kraken, joins North Helpline executive director Kelly Brown and Starbucks own June Ashley in the presentation of a $50,000 Puck Drop Grant from Starbucks to North Helpline. Food insecurity is one of the major challenges faced by KCI neighbors in the Northgate area, and Starbucks has long taken action to fight hunger and support the thriving communities it calls home.

Artist Paige Pettibon, a Tacoma-based artist and member of the Salish and Kootenai Confederated Tribes, contributed the mural pictured above to the Iceplex, in collaboration with Starbucks and the One Roof Foundation. The four-figure pattern in the mural, often found in traditional Coastal Salish basket weaving, represents community coming together through craft and design.

<a href="https://www.king5.com/article/sports/kraken-iceplex-serving-community/281-4e448ee4-6253-4b26-af6a-5cc26f47ddb5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">KING 5 News</a> in Seattle covered the one-year anniversary of the KCI Community Store and the neighborhood-focused relationship between Starbucks, the Seattle Kraken, and the One Roof Foundation, which is committed to sponsoring field trips for kids at local Title I schools to visit the Iceplex and learn about the sport of hockey.

Since opening, the store has become a community fixture, serving more than 16,000 customers and committing a dedicated portion of its sales receipts to benefit local community programs.

Starbucks Celebrates One-Year Anniversary of Kraken Community Iceplex Store with Special Guest

Stories to inspire and nurture the human spirit

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Starbucks to open 21st Community Store at Kraken Community Iceplex, dedicated to providing economic opportunity by investing in the Northgate neighborhood and greater Seattle community

A percentage of store profits to support Kraken’s One Roof Foundation and other local nonprofits

The company will establish an ongoing Puck Drop Grant with first $50,000 to YouthCare to support their work to end youth homelessness

From the company’s start in 1971 as a single store at the Pike Place Market, Starbucks has always been about so much more than coffee. With a mission “to inspire and nurture the human spirit, one cup, one person and one neighborhood at a time,” we believe we have a responsibility to strengthen our communities. That commitment began in our hometown of Seattle 50 years ago and remains true today.

On June 30, 2021, Starbucks and the Seattle Kraken, Seattle’s new professional ice hockey expansion team, announced a <a href="https://www.nhl.com/kraken/news/seattle-kraken-and-starbucks-announce-partnership-at-newly-named-kraken-community-iceplex/c-325523576?tid=319039896" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">multi-year partnership</a> to celebrate and strengthen the Seattle community. This partnership will focus on building community and advancing equity in Seattle through the newly named Kraken Community Iceplex. The Iceplex will serve as a space to support the Northgate community – one of Seattle’s most diverse neighborhoods – and will bring people together and foster a sense of inclusion and belonging through sports and community programs.

"Starbucks has tremendous pride in our hometown, and we are honored to work with an organization like the Seattle Kraken which shares our values," said Kevin Johnson, CEO at Starbucks. "The people in our city represent the very best of us, and working together, we're committed to strengthening the Seattle community, celebrating our neighbors, and building a lasting partnership that uplifts the lives of people and families across the Puget Sound."

Read more about the partnership in <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2021/our-new-community-impact-partnership-in-seattle/">a letter</a> to local Seattle partners (employees) from Camille Hymes, vice president of community impact at Starbucks.

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Starbucks will serve as one of the Kraken’s Community Impact Partners and will open its 21st Community Store within Kraken Community Iceplex. <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/starbucks-expands-commitment-in-underserved-communities-across-the-us/">Starbucks Community Stores</a> are committed to economic development and opportunity in underserved communities. They focus on hiring from the community, partnering with nonprofits and working with local artists, and serve as a space for community events and programs. Unique to the Northgate Community Store at the Iceplex, a percentage of profits will support the Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena’s One Roof Foundation and other local nonprofit organizations.

Slated to open this September, Kraken Community Iceplex will have programs to support youth and adult skating and hockey lessons, youth and adult hockey leagues, figure skating, public skate sessions and more, with the goal of introducing hockey to more members of the Seattle community. Kraken fans will also be able to watch the NHL team practice and attend game viewing events. Program registration and more information is available at <a href="http://www.krakencommunityiceplex.com">www.krakencommunityiceplex.com</a>.

Serving and Engaging the Seattle Community

Together, Starbucks and the Kraken will build this community partnership to address the related, critical needs of access to resources and opportunity for young people – particularly girls and Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) youth – through key investments and programming in partnership with the One Roof Foundation, and local organizations including Black Girl Hockey Club, YouthCare, the Boys and Girls Club, and the Washington Wild, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting girls’ ice hockey.

To further the impact of this partnership, Starbucks will establish an ongoing Puck Drop Grant, awarding an initial $50,000 grant to YouthCare to support their work to end youth homelessness in Seattle.

"We are so excited that Starbucks and the Kraken, two impact-driven community leaders, are joining forces to help expand access to resources and opportunities to Seattle-area youth," said Suzanne Sullivan, Chief Advancement Officer of YouthCare, Seattle. "We look forward to building this partnership together to transform the lives of young people experiencing homelessness through employment, education, and community programs, for years to come.”

Additional partnership highlights include a program that invites one hundred community members to every Kraken game at Climate Pledge Arena as a way to celebrate and recognize local nonprofits, first responders, educators and other community heroes, as well as joint community service and engagement efforts supported by Starbucks partners (employees) and the Kraken.

Starbucks will also be the exclusive coffee served in Kraken Community Iceplex and the Climate Pledge Arena.

Advancing Equity in our Hometown

This partnership is a demonstration of Starbucks commitment to strengthening its hometown, building upon the company’s efforts to<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/inclusion-diversity/"> advance diversity, equity and inclusion</a> and provide economic opportunity by investing in traditionally underserved, diverse communities across the country.

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Starbucks to open 21st Community Store at Kraken Community Iceplex, dedicated to providing economic opportunity by investing in the Northgate neighborhood and greater Seattle community.

Starbucks Announces Community Impact Partnership with Seattle Kraken Ice Hockey Team

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A letter to local Seattle partners (employees) from Camille Hymes, vice president of community impact at Starbucks

From our start as a single store at the Pike Place Market 50 years ago, our aspiration has always been to be a different kind of company. A company that looks for opportunities to bring people together for conversation and connection, making a positive impact in the communities we serve. 

Today is a proud moment for our hometown partners and ice hockey fans across the country as Starbucks and the Seattle Kraken, a new professional ice hockey expansion team, announce a multi-year partnership to celebrate and strengthen the Seattle community.&nbsp; This partnership will focus on building community and advancing equity in Seattle – amplifying Starbucks existing investments and partnerships in the Seattle community and the Kraken’s ongoing efforts to advance diversity, equity and inclusion.

When we learned of this unique opportunity to engage in a partnership with the&nbsp;Kraken&nbsp;organization, the first question we asked ourselves was, “Will this partnership make our partners proud?”&nbsp;And after learning that the ethos of the organization is to promote a more equitable society, a healthier planet and a world where people can realize a brighter future, the answer was a resounding “YES”!&nbsp;

I want to reiterate to you that this is about more than ice hockey; it’s about supporting communities and our hometown. Together, Starbucks and the Kraken are committed to serving the Seattle community via the newly named Kraken Community Iceplex. It will serve as a space to support the Northgate community – one of Seattle’s most diverse neighborhoods – bringing people together and fostering a sense of inclusion and belonging through community programming and of course, ice hockey.

And, inside the Kraken Community Iceplex, we will open our 21st Starbucks Community Store where a percentage of store profits&nbsp;will support the Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena’s <a href="https://onerooffoundation.org/">One Roof Foundation</a> and local nonprofit organizations with a focus on youth&nbsp;homelessness, environmental justice and providing access and opportunities in youth ice hockey. It is set to open with Kraken Community Iceplex this September.

Even more, as one of the Community Impact Partners of the Seattle Kraken, Starbucks will:

And partners, this is just the beginning of the incredible community impact we know we can have in partnership with the Kraken.

There is an old African proverb I am reminded of, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” In this partnership, we will further amplify our community efforts and there is no limit to how far we can go.&nbsp;

A letter to local Seattle partners (employees) from Camille Hymes, vice president of community impact at Starbucks.

Our New Community Impact Partnership in Seattle

https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2021/our-new-community-impact-partnership-in-seattle/

Today, Starbucks opened a Community Store in the Watts neighborhood of L.A. dedicated to support local economic development and empower local youth. This is the first Starbucks Community Store in Watts, the second in California and the 17th nationwide – and builds on Starbucks <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/starbucks-expands-commitment-in-underserved-communities-across-the-us/">commitment</a> to open 100 Community Stores across the country by 2025.

This store is not like other Starbucks stores in the area – through local hiring, partnerships with local nonprofits, diverse contractors and artists, and a unique in-store training space for local events and programs, this store is dedicated to creating pathways for those facing barriers to opportunity.

Read more about the Watts Community Store, <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/starbucks-opens-community-store-in-watts-neighborhood-of-la/">here</a>.

Starbucks opened a Community Store in the Watts neighborhood of L.A. dedicated to support local economic development and empower local youth.

Starbucks continues to strengthen communities, opens 17th Community Store

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2449 E Century Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90002

Today, Starbucks opened a new Community Store in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA as&nbsp;part of the&nbsp;company’s ongoing&nbsp;commitment to invest in traditionally underserved, diverse communities across the country and create pathways for those facing barriers to opportunity.

The Watts Community Store is the 17th Community Store in the U.S. and the second in the L.A. area. Community Stores are dedicated to providing economic opportunity by hiring locally, including working with diverse contractors for store construction and commissioning local artists to create murals in the store.&nbsp;Each store also features a dedicated space that will be used in partnership with local organizations to serve the needs of the community.

The new Starbucks store in Watts has created 22 local jobs by hiring partners (employees) from the area. Hiring local partners is an important part of Starbucks strategy to support economic development and build stronger connections with the community. Both qualifying full-time and part-time partners at the Watts store will able to take advantage of the company’s leading benefits, including full health care coverage and equity in the form of stock; the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, which gives partners the opportunity to get a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University with full tuition reimbursement; and more.

The Watts Community Store has a training room designed for community events, including programs hosted in partnership with local nonprofit organizations. The store also features two murals commissioned by local artist, <a href="http://mikenorice.com/">Mike Norice</a>, on the exterior of the store. Titled Community and Love, this artwork was inspired by the important aspects and events that shaped the Watts neighborhood into what it is today.

Watts store partners have also nominated four community organizations that support local youth programs to receive donations from Starbucks: East Side Riders Bike Club, Sister of Watts, Operation Progress LA, College Track Watts. Each organization will receive $2,500.

This spring, Starbucks opened two other Community Stores in the U.S. in Prince George’s County, MD and Anacostia, Washington, DC. Since launching the initiative in 2015, Starbucks has opened community stores across the country in Jamaica, Queens, New York; Ferguson, Missouri; Phoenix, Arizona; Englewood in the southside of Chicago; east Baltimore; Long Beach, California; Trenton, New Jersey; White Center in south Seattle; Miami Gardens, Florida; Birmingham, Alabama; Dallas, Texas; Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn, New York; New Orleans, Louisiana.

The company has <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/starbucks-expands-commitment-in-underserved-communities-across-the-us/">committed</a> to opening 100 community stores by 2025.&nbsp;

The Watts Community Store is the 17th Community Store in the U.S. and the second in the L.A. area.

Starbucks opens Community Store in Watts Neighborhood of L.A.

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Community Stores are dedicated to providing economic opportunity by hiring locally, including working with diverse contractors for store construction and commissioning local artists to create murals in the store.

Starbucks plans to operate 100 stores by 2025 in underrepresented neighborhoods across the country as part of the expanded Community Store program, working with non-profits and civic leaders to bolster economic growth

A national partnership with United Way will help enable hundreds of Starbucks partners (employees) to drive meaningful community engagement in and outside of store

Starbucks partners are multiplying their community impact this month with the distribution of 1,000 Neighborhood Grants to local NGOs and support in hundreds of service projects for Martin Luther King Jr. Week of Service

SEATTLE – Five years following the launch of its <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2015/starbucks-deepens-investments-in-diverse-under-represented-communities/">Community Store Program initiative</a>, Starbucks today announced it will increase its commitment to open 100 Community Stores dedicated to providing economic opportunity in underserved rural and urban communities across the country, an 85 store increase from its 2015 commitment. These stores will focus on hiring locally, creating dedicated space for communities to come together for events and working with diverse contractors for store construction and remodels. The company aspires to complete this goal by 2025.

Starbucks will consider factors such as high youth unemployment, low median household income and population stability when selecting Community Store locations. The company will prioritize developing cafes in economically distressed communities, or Opportunity Zones, with upcoming locations planned for Prince George’s County, MD; Anacostia, D.C.; and Los Angeles, CA. 

“We believe it is our role and responsibility to partner with those in the communities we serve to help make a positive economic and social impact,” said John Kelly, executive vice president of Public Affairs at Starbucks. “These stores are successful and it’s time to expand the model. Over the last five years, we’ve seen these Community Stores empower our partners and customers to create meaningful impact that is localized and relevant to their neighborhoods. We’ve learned a great deal from our 14 Community Stores and applied those learnings to how we approach community partnership in more than 8,000 neighborhoods we serve across the country.” 

The Community Stores will share several common aspects compared to other Starbucks cafes, including: locations in economically distressed communities; a designated room or space for community events and programming; a partnership with a local United Way chapter to facilitate relevant community programs; a focus on working with diverse contractors for store construction and remodels; and an emphasis on hiring locally. 

Since launching the Community Store initiative in 2015, Starbucks has opened 14 stores across the country in Jamaica Queens, NY; Ferguson, MO; Phoenix, AZ; Englewood in the southside of Chicago; east Baltimore; Long Beach, CA; Trenton, NJ; White Center in south Seattle; Miami Gardens, FL; Birmingham, AL; Redbird in Dallas, TX; Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn, NY; New Orleans, LA; and Jonesboro, GA. The 15th store will open in Prince George’s County, MD this spring.

Starbucks estimates its Community Stores have helped:

To scale the program to 100 locations by 2025, Starbucks will focus on supporting store remodels in addition to new development projects. 

As part of Starbucks national partnership with United Way, local United Ways and <a href="https://www.unitedway.org/our-impact/featured-programs/2-1-1">211s</a> in targeted communities will work with Community Store partners to create resources and programs for each community from <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2018/starbucks-opens-community-store-in-birmingham/">life skills training for youth</a> to <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2017/starbucks-supports-local-revitalization-and-youth-hiring-in-miami-gardens/">mentorship programs</a> and beyond. That includes facilitating activities at the stores that support people in the community, providing Starbucks partners with customized community profiles and resource information and connecting partners with volunteer activities that help create real change in the communities in which they live and work.

“United Way and Starbucks share a commitment to ensuring every person has the opportunity to thrive, and we’re honored to partner with them,” said Suzanne McCormick, U.S. President of United Way Worldwide. “United Way has been connecting people to resources across the U.S. for more than 130 years, and we look forward to deploying United Way’s local expertise and experience to help Starbucks Community Stores make a real difference.”

The Starbucks Foundation Awards 1,000 Neighborhood Grants, Thousands of Starbucks Partners Volunteer in National Service Projects

In addition to today’s news of the Community Store expansion, The Starbucks Foundation also announced it has awarded more than 1,000 Neighborhood Grants, a new giving program that creates local impact and empowers store partners to strengthen relationships with local nonprofit organizations. To date, hundreds of store managers have secured more than $1 million in grants from The Starbucks Foundation for more than 1,000 local nonprofit organizations in all 50 U.S. states and all Canadian provinces. 

In addition to these local partnerships initiated by Starbucks partners every day, thousands of store partners have committed to hundreds of local service projects next week across the United States as part of the Martin Luther King Week of Good. In many communities, United Way is facilitating volunteer activities that help improve education, health and financial stability.

To learn more about how our partners are creating meaningful connections and driving positive impact in their communities, visit <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/partners/">stories.starbucks.com/stories/partners</a>.

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica&nbsp;coffee. Today, with more than 31,000 stores around the globe, Starbucks 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 https://stories.starbucks.com and www.Starbucks.com.

United Way fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community. Supported by 2.9 million volunteers, 8.1 million donors worldwide and $4.8 billion raised every year, United Way is the world’s largest privately-funded nonprofit. We’re engaged in nearly 1,800 communities across more than 40 countries and territories worldwide to create sustainable solutions to the challenges facing our communities. United Way partners include global, national and local businesses, nonprofits, government, civic and faith-based organizations, along with educators, labor leaders, health providers, senior citizens, students and more. For more information about United Way, please visit <a href="https://www.UnitedWay.org">https://www.UnitedWay.org</a>. Follow us on Twitter: @UnitedWay and #LiveUnited.

Starbucks Expands Commitment in Underserved Communities Across the U.S. - Starbucks Stories

Starbucks Expands Commitment in Underserved Communities Across the U.S.

A national partnership with United Way will help enable hundreds of Starbucks partners (employees) to drive meaningful community engagement in and outside of store.

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