[hotskates]

I heard lately about people boycotting Starbucks because supposedly they refused to donate coffee to our troops in Iraq? Is there any truth to this or is it a rumor. I have an Uncle who is having serious withdrawals since he quit drinking Starbucks after hearing about this. I know lots of companies are sending supplies over there to help the soldiers be more comfortable. But, is Starbucks one of them?

[angelize56]

I'm sure Starbucks could afford to send our troops some free coffee! It's really sad in my eyes if this is true! But here's good news!

S.F. coffee company donates to troops
Starbucks buckles
By KELLY NIX
The Salinas Californian

A Bay Area coffee company is donating 2,500 pounds of coffee to troops in Iraq after learning about a Salinas woman who was unable to get coffee giant Starbucks to donate the java.

In a Salinas Californian news article Saturday, Lucy Vega said Starbucks Coffee turned her down when she requested they send her brother Marine Lance Cpl. Adrian Jimenez, 19, and his battalion some coffee.

"I heard about it on KCBS (radio), and I said, 'Come on Starbucks, for crying out loud,'" said Jon Rogers, president of San Francisco Bay Coffee Company.

So Rogers called Vega and said the company would donate to her brother's battalion.

Meanwhile, Starbucks announced Tuesday it is donating 50,000 pounds of coffee to troops in Iraq in cooperation with the American Red Cross. (Too bad the bad publicity is why people will think Starbucks is doing this...but I'm thankful they are!)

"I'm sure it was the result of the negative publicity they received from the story," said Jim Rogers, vice president of San Francisco Bay Coffee.

Starbucks didn't return three phone messages left Wednesday.

Vega said she's also received an outpouring of local support since the article. Hayward Lumber in Salinas said it will donate an artificial Christmas tree to her brother's battalion.

And Coffee Expresso, 1552 N. Main St., also will donate coffee, said the shop's co-owner, Janette Harrison. Vega said Coffee Expresso offered to provide about 20 pounds of coffee.

"I was really shocked," Vega said. "I didn't think that the article would make such an impact on people."

Vega and some of her friends and co-workers began a boycott of Starbucks after the company said it wouldn't donate coffee. She said she still plans to hold off buying from Starbucks at least until her brother returns from Iraq.

Jim Rogers said the San Francisco Bay Coffee Company is working out how to send 500 five-pound bags of coffee to Iraq.

In making the announcement Tuesday about its massive coffee donation to troops, a Starbucks spokesman said the company gave $11.3 million in grants, corporate donations and products to nonprofits in 2003.

The coffee giant also donated hundreds of pounds of coffee to the Navy's USS Abraham Lincoln strike carrier group.

American Red Cross spokeswoman Kara Bunte confirmed that her organization will collaborate with Starbucks to distribute the coffee, but the Red Cross didn't yet have details on the partnership.

The San Francisco Bay Coffee Company already had donated about 20,000 two-ounce bags of coffee to troops overseas, Jon Rogers said.

"I don't care about getting publicity," he said. "When we hear about something like that, we want to help."

[shadowcat]

I think they are donating to the our troops in Iraq: http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/sea...btn_search.y=0 and http://www.townhall.com/news/politic...0041125a.shtml.

[twotugs]

http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/starbucks.asp

Claim: Starbucks refused free product to G.I.s serving in Iraq, saying it didn't support the war and anyone in it.

Status: False.

(I have to quote from the Snopes article, as I cannot find anything on the Starbucks site.)

As for what Starbucks has to say about the matter, while it doesn't directly refute the rumor on its web site, it does at least provide somewhat of an answer in e-mail. An excerpt from that statement reads:

Starbucks has the deepest respect and admiration for U.S. military personnel. We are extremely grateful to the men and women who serve stateside or overseas. We sincerely appreciate that they are willing to risk their lives to protect Americans and our values of freedom and democracy. While Starbucks as a company cannot directly donate to military personnel, many of our partners (employees) show their support by donating coffee.

Starbucks partners receive one pound of free coffee each week as an employee benefit (known as "partner mark-out"). Many of our partners have elected to send their weekly mark-out of coffee to members of the military or military families, and related organizations. Our partners have collected and shipped numerous pounds of Starbucks coffee overseas.

As an example of this generosity, our partners in our Atascadero, California store sent their weekly mark out coffee to troops in Afghanistan so they are able to enjoy a little piece of home. Our customer relations department in Seattle donated hundreds of pounds of coffee to the sailors in the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group.

Under the terms of the Starbucks' corporate giving policy, had such a request been made, the coffee giant would have had to say no to it. Such a refusal would have been in keeping with the corporation's donations policy, in that Starbucks chooses to direct its charitable resources within the communities where its stores are located and limits its funding to non-profit organizations. Moreover, it does not consider requests for funding that come from political or religious organizations or which would fund political or religious initiatives or programs. According to the guidelines currently in place, a request for coffee from soldiers serving overseas would be turned down.

Wanna find out how the employees feel about donating to the troops? Ask them.

http://www.livejournal.com/community/baristas/

[hotskates]

It looks like maybe Starbucks was dragging their feet in the beginning , but now they have their priorities straight!!! There couldn't be a better drink to keep our soldiers going (literally going and going and going like the energizer bunny) I hope Starbucks keeps on sending it and not just for Thanksgiving.