Starbucks Is Offering Front-Line Responders Free Coffee Every Day

All through the month of December.

December 01, 2020

Photo by: Connor Surdi/Photo courtesy of Starbucks

Connor Surdi/Photo courtesy of Starbucks

Starbucks announced on Tuesday that it plans to show its appreciation for first responders and healthcare workers during the month of December in a very on-brand way — by offering them a free cup of coffee every day this month.

The coffee giant explained that the caffeinated surprise is in response to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases across much of the country and is one way for the company to recognize the significant efforts of the front-line responder and health care community, who have worked tirelessly to keep people safe during this ongoing pandemic. Per the terms of the promotion, Starbucks will offer a free tall brewed coffee (hot or iced) to front-line responders at participating U.S. Starbucks stores now through December 31.

“It has been an extraordinarily difficult year, especially for the front-line responders who are serving our communities,” Virginia Tenpenny, Starbucks vice president, Global Social Impact, said in a press release. “We want to show our deep gratitude for those who support and protect us every day with a small gesture of kindness and a cup of coffee.”

Those eligible for a free cup of java each day include doctors, nurses, public health workers, pharmacists, dispatchers, firefighters, paramedics, police officers, dentists and dental hygienists, mental health workers and hospital staff, such as janitorial and security personnel, as well as active-duty military. No official ID is necessary.

And that’s not all. To further support the front-line responder community, the Seattle-based business donated $100,000 to National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to support virtual mental health resources for front-line responders. Starbucks noted it also has plans to surprise 50,000 front-line responders with care packages and Starbucks gift cards this holiday season.

Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis in March, The Starbucks Foundation has donated more than $1 million to support front-line responders, including delivery of personal protective equipment, essential medical items, care packages and handwritten letters, and support for emergency assistance including mental health resources for first responders and health care workers.

What’s more? In addition to taking a number of actions to protect its own employees, Starbucks has also already provided more than two million free cups of coffee to front-line responders via an earlier promotion, given 300,000 care packages and letters, each with one pound of Starbucks whole bean coffee, to first responders and health care workers in partnership with Operation Gratitude, sent 120,000 cups of coffee and thousands of Starbucks gift cards to local hospitals and front-line responders and delivered 110 pallets of K-Cup pod donations to hospitals and military units.

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