Since 2012, Starbucks has grown into one of the University of Washington’s main partners on campus, with their continued efforts in uniting the student body and community through goals and initiatives.
Starbucks is a main partner in helping create Family Resource Exchanges which are slowly spreading across the Puget Sound, providing thousands of unsheltered families with necessities; an example includes partnering with UW Food Pantry to address food insecurity, and providing “more than 50 pounds of Starbucks sandwiches, salads, bread and pastries to students in need.”
They also have connected hundreds of students with permanent housing. The University of Washington has now joined the coalition, and will be hosting Family Resource Exchanges on all three of our campuses. Each exchange in 2019-2020 on campus focused on providing services such as “housing options, job opportunities, financial coaching, public benefits, legal expungement and special services for students experiencing homelessness.”
Starbucks helps students in other aspects as well, offering unique leadership programs and internships designed for growth and development in all areas, such as their Leadership Firesides and U Lead We Lead Program. They also are engaged with many UW events, such as MLK Week of Service, Veterans Week, Dawg Daze, and more. Starbucks continues to work on putting equity and inclusion at the forefront of their efforts globally, and have also created scholarships through the UW Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity for underrepresented students.
In addition, Starbucks participates in recognizing “Hometown Heros” at the UW Football games, acknowledging nominated individuals who have served in the military as an appreciation of their sacrifice. Starbucks leads by example in being a Sustainability Partner, dedicating assets to continuing research in clean water and climate change, as well as building LEED-certified structures. Starbucks has also partnered with the UW on sustainability efforts such as the Environment Innovation Challenge and Earth Day festivities.