On Tuesday, coffeehouse giant Starbucks pledged that it will donate all stores' surplus food to the hungry through a new program called FoodShare. The program will donate Starbucks ready-to-eat meals in the form of sandwiches and bistro boxes to food banks from all 7,600 stores located in the United States.
In the U.S., it is estimated that there are nearly 50 million people who are hungry with 15 million of them being children. The goal of donating all unsold edible items to food banks by 2021 will be accomplished though Starbucks' existing relationship with Food Donation Connection and a new partnership with Feeding America. With help from the old and new partners, all perishable food, which also includes breakfast sandwiches, salads and paninis, will be picked up from Starbucks locations at the end of each day and will be taken and donated.
"This food is going to make a difference, whether it's a child not going hungry for the night or a family that's able to enjoy a protein plate that they would not have otherwise been able to afford at Starbucks," said Kienan McFadden, a Starbucks store manager. "Rescuing food in this way from being thrown away will change lives. It makes me proud to know partners are the heroes in this."
Starbucks intends to roll out this process over the next five years until all locations across the country are donating 100 percent of perishable food.
