Corporate Social Responsibility is defined as corporate support for the development and/or implementation of a behavior change campaign intended to improve public health, safety and the environment or community well being. Yep, Starbucks is at it again!!
Throughout the year, Starbucks’ partners (employees) and customers dedicate their time and energy to create positive change in their local neighborhoods. April is Global Month of Service; Starbucks commitment to helping communities thrive exemplified by partners and customers participating in service projects around the world. They are giving $4 million to help communities thrive. This is the second annual Global Month of Service where partners will lead community service projects focused on the individual needs of the neighborhoods where they live and work. The goal is 1 million community hours by the year 2015.
April 2011’s Global Month of Service results are proof that corporate volunteerism is taking a front seat among Starbucks employees, customers and partners. Let’s take a look:
- Nearly 60,000 volunteers participated from across 30 countries on 4 continents
- More than 252,000 people globally benefited from the service
- More than 1,400 community service projects completed
- More than 156,000 hours of service contributed in just 30 days—that’s equivalent to 76 people working full-time for a year
- Approx. $3.3 million (USD) of financial value invested in communities through service
WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT VIA VOLUNTEERISM:
- Find service projects in your area. Go to Starbucks.com and do a filter search by your city and state to find a project that interest you in your area.
- Have a Starbucks card? Make it a Community card.
- Go to Starbucks.com/VoteGiveGrow
- Use your registered Starbucks card to opt-in to the Community card program.
- Vote for one of the organizations in your area.
- Put the sticker on your Starbucks card as a reminder to vote. (Sticker is on the Community Vote.Give.Grow card found in your local Starbucks)
- Go back to a Starbucks.com/VoteGiveGrow every week in April to vote again.
- Remember my previous blog post New Starbucks/OFN Partnership: Create Jobs in USA? 100% of donated proceeds will go to Opportunity Finance Network to help fund loans for community businesses.
- Work to decrease youth violence by engaging young people.
- Purchase an Ethos Water at Starbucks and you contribute 5 cents to the Ethos Water fund, part of the Starbucks Foundation.
- So far $6 million has been granted to help support water, sanitation and hygiene education programs in water-stressed countries – benefiting more than 420,000 people around the world.
BENEFITS:
More than 120 nonprofits will receive financial support. In turn, their programs will help people in our neighborhoods access services that help gain education, housing, employment, and a thriving community.
Starbucks’ culture of social good and volunteerism is a powerful example of what can be accomplished when we all work together to foster social responsibility.
