Beverly, Mass. – Heather Staples, a 14-year Starbucks partner, manages a store about a mile down the road from the hospital where her wife, brother and sister-in-law work.

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Last week, someone there suggested her brother, an operating nurse, bring a bandanna to protect his face because there weren’t enough masks to go around. When Staples heard this, her stomach dropped. 

“It's a horrible position for medical workers to be in, and a horrible situation we're in right now with the virus,” she said. “I felt really helpless. I think a lot of us feel really helpless right now. So, I just thought, ‘What's one thing that I could do right now that might make a difference?’”

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Masks. She would sew face masks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that in<a> </a>the<a> </a><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/face-masks.html#crisis-capacity">absence of medical facemasks,</a> homemade ones could be used <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/respirators-strategy/crisis-alternate-strategies.html#references">as a last resort</a> in caring for patients, ideally in combination with a face shield. While far from ideal, during the shortage of medical masks some hospitals are issuing <a href="https://vimeo.com/399324367/13cd93f150?fbclid=IwAR2gFlRRa_lHakuR5SZvCJUPb0KGxXhpuTeMyH8S70zpcvCGAtR3dLkbpn8">video directions</a> or patterns, along with <a href="https://www.chop.edu/how-make-homemade-diy-face-mask">requests</a> for them to be donated.

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Staples downloaded patterns from the internet and started a Facebook page to enlist help across the city (it’s now at more than 400 members). She hauled her sewing machine, ironing board, fabric, elastic and other supplies into one corner of her <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/starbucks-temporarily-moving-to-primarily-drive-thru-only-in-us-confirms-expanded-catastrophe-pay-for-worried-partner/">temporarily closed Starbucks café</a> and got sewing. Well, sewing when she wasn’t working. The drive thru at her store is still open, and it’s a busy one.

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“We wanted to do everything we could to stay open because we are right next to the hospital, and we have tons of first responders and hospital staff that come through the drive through all the time,” Staples said. “The partners are -- you know, morale is really high. We're really excited to be here for the community.”

About half of her regular team have chosen to stay home <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/starbucks-temporarily-moving-to-primarily-drive-thru-only-in-us-confirms-expanded-catastrophe-pay-for-worried-partner/">on paid leave</a>, and the rest are making it work. Many of her store partners are sewing, too.

“Before shifts, after shifts, on breaks – we’re just trying to get as many masks out as we possibly can,” Staples said. The partners have made about 45 in the last four days, and the community has made more than 600. (Starbucks partners may also now buy or make their own masks and wear them to work in the store, if they wish.)

The store has also become a "command central" for community drop-offs and donations. The team is packaging the masks – both regular and ones designed to fit over an N95 respirator to help prolong the life of it – into care packages with coffee travelers, snacks donated from Starbucks and others in the city, Starbucks Via Instant Coffee and notes she’s collected from children in the community thanking health care workers.

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“We sent out four different care packages this morning, and all day I was getting messages from nurses,” Staples said. “One of them said, ‘You know, there were so many happy tears on the floor today. We just really felt like someone finally cares.’ Which broke my heart. But I think a lot of nurses and doctors feel like they've kind of being thrown into a war they're not really prepared for, and one they're not being given the tools they need to fight appropriately. It’s definitely made my heart grow 10 sizes just to see how the community has come together to support our healthcare professionals. We want to do whatever we can do to help them feel supported, loved and appreciated.”

“Somebody told me today, ‘Worst case scenario, everyone across the country sews masks and we don’t end up needing them and at the end of all this, we have a million little dog sweaters,’” Staples said, laughing. “But best-case scenario, we actually make something our doctors and nurses can use.”

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Starbucks partners use empty café as mask sewing station

When Heather Staples heard a local hospital was running low on supplies, she and her baristas turned their temporarily closed café into a sewing station for masks.

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Terrel, Texas – Olivia Rice was proud of herself for leaving early enough Tuesday to get coffee on her way to work as communications director of the local school district. Then, as she was about to get to Starbucks, she hit a pothole.

“I was like, ‘I'm going to treat myself to Starbucks and sit in my car in silence for five minutes before tackling my day.’ And then boom, flat tire,” Olivia said. 

Barista Alejandro Montenegro, a nearly four-year Starbucks partner, saw her through the drive thru window as she pulled into the parking lot and began to struggle with the spare tire.

“I’ve been in that position before. It’s kind of a nuisance,” said Alejandro, who is studying to become a firefighter at Trinity Valley Community College while working at Starbucks. He ran out and helped her change her tire. After they got the spare on, he was using the jack to lower the car to the ground, he realized he was still wearing his drive thru headset.

“He said, ‘what would you like to order?’” Olivia wrote on Facebook later that morning. “Y'ALL, he took my order WHILE he changed my tire!”

Her order? An iced coffee and a flat white.

“You cannot make these things up,” Olivia said. 

When she got to the window, the drinks were ready – and free.

“She was already having a hard morning,” Alejandro said. “The thing with doing good deeds is that it seems to have a trickle effect. If you help someone, even for a moment, it can influence how the rest of their day goes, and then when they interact with people, those conversations will be better. It’s a whole butterfly effect.”

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Alejandro and the flat (white)

TOKYO – After announcing the opening of the Tokyo Roastery almost three years ago, partners at the Tokyo Roastery are ready to showcase their craft.

Later this week, the doors to the Roastery will open along the Meguro River’s edge, just weeks before the famous cherry blossoms reach full bloom. The four-story tribute to coffee, craft and community celebrates Japanese tradition through the passion of the partners that work there. 

From prefectures across Japan, these partners are working together to build community in hopes it inspires customers and Starbucks partners around the world. &nbsp;

Rika Mitsuyama – Shiga Prefecture

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“I cherish the Starbucks value – ‘acting with courage’ – and am here to challenge myself with something new like being involved in this next step for Starbucks in Japan.”

「勇気を持って行動する」というスターバックスの指針が、いつも胸にある。日本のスターバックス転換期に、新しいことにチャレンジし、自分を変えたい。

Moeka Tsutsui – Gifu Prefecture

“The Roastery is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It’s a place where you can immerse yourself in tea, where we can share our knowledge of tea with customers.”

スターバックス リザーブ? ロースタリー 東京は「一期一会」の意味合いが強い。TEAの世界にのめり込んでもらう、自分たちのTEAの知識をお客様に広げる―。そんなロースタリーにしたい。

Shuichi Obuchi – Niigata Prefecture

“Though bartenders typically take time to build relationships with customers, Starbucks partners really capture the heart of their customers in each moment of connection.”

一瞬でお客様の心をつかむ力が、スターバックスのパートナー（従業員）に備わっている。初めて来た人にはバーの入り口として、バーの楽しみ方を知っている人には本物の体験を提供したい。

Yukari Fujimori – Shiga Prefecture

“I heard about the Roastery in Tokyo and applied so I could make my hobbies of making coffee and bread my job. Now, I’m baking bread at Princi.”

大好きなパンと、コーヒー。スターバックス リザーブ? ロースタリー 東京には、その二つがある。素敵な香りに包まれ、Princiでパンを焼き続けている。

Hitoshi Watanabe – Kagawa Prefecture

“The Roastery will enhance our passion for coffee across all of Japan’s stores. I hope our partners take pride in the coffee we’re roasting in Japan and grow their curiosity.”

スターバックス リザーブ? ロースタリー 東京は、日本の全国の店舗にコーヒーネスを波及させ、高めていく存在。国内焙煎による味わいを堪能し、コーヒーに興味を持ってもらいたい。

Junko Moriyama – Tokyo

“Starbucks is a company that can make the coffee industry more sustainable. I am so excited to introduce customers to the Reserve coffees that connect me to coffee origin communities.”

スターバックスのコーヒーの情熱や倫理的な調達を発信する。そんなロースタリーにしたい。自分自身の成長はもちろん、積み上げた経験とゆるぎない情熱で、仲間の成長を応援していきたい。

Mami Ishizuka – Iwate Prefecture

“I want to create a positive work environment where we as partners are always thankful for one another. We share the same mission and values, and now can make our connection even stronger.”

ポジティブな職場、ありがとうが飛び交う環境を作りたい。みんな同じMission and Valuesを胸に働いている。日本の各店舗から集まった細い糸を太く、強くしていきたい。

Rui Kiuchi – Kyoto Prefecture

“A packer’s job is the last step to put the heart into the coffees. It’s where you put the ‘humanity’ into every bag.”

パッカーは、コーヒー豆を袋に詰める最後の工程。自らの手でパッキングしたものが全国へ届く。一袋、一袋に、Humanityを込め続けている。

Meet the partners of the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Tokyo, who are working together build community and inspire customers.

Tokyo Roastery partners – connection and purpose on all four floors - Starbucks Stories

Tokyo Roastery partners – connection and purpose on all four floors

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