Starbucks on Monday said all its company-operated locations will donate ready-to-eat meals as part of an expanded effort to fight hunger in the U.S.
The company said it would expand its FoodShare donation program to all 9,000 of its company-operated locations in the U.S. The program initially launched in 2016 and since then has donated some 33.7 million meals to local food banks.
Starbucks also said it is donating $1.7 million to Feeding America to provide equitable access to nutritious food to underserved communities. The grants will be distributed to 16 food banks across the U.S. where the company has its Starbucks Community Stores, or locations in underrepresented neighborhoods.
The effort comes as hunger mounts in the U.S.—Feeding America estimates that one out of eight people in the U.S. experience hunger as a major issue. The problem disproportionately affects Black individuals, who are twice as likely to experience hunger as Whites.
Starbucks has donated $2.69 million to food bank programs since 2019. The company has committed to spending $100 million in hunger relief programs over the next decade.
The grants “are a unique opportunity to combine efforts with our Community Stores across the country,” Camille Hymes, Starbucks VP of community impact, said in a statement. She noted that the Community Stores are designed to support under-resourced communities to increase access to food.
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