Starbucks supports Al Rashad Centre for Autism as part of global month of service

Press release

Published June 29th, 2015 - 08:10 GMT

During the event

Starbucks partners (employees), customers and suppliers celebrated Starbucks’ fourth annual Global Month of Service by renovating the facilities at the Al Rashad Centre for Autism in Saar.

A total of 38 Starbucks partners, customers and suppliers spent an estimated 259 hours renovating the centre’s garden and the children’s play area. They were joined by 20 volunteers from surrounding Autism centres, who played with the children while renovations were carried out.

The Global Month of Service is part of Starbucks’ company-wide commitment to help create flourishing neighborhoods wherever it does business. Held every April, the initiative invites partners and customers to roll up their sleeves and participate in community service projects that help create positive and sustainable change. The Al Rashad Centre renovation was one of the many projects carried out across the region, reinforcing Starbucks’ commitment to making its local communities stronger.

Regional Communications and CSR Manager for Starbucks MENA, Rana Shaheen, said: “This is the fourth consecutive year that Starbucks partners have set out to make a real difference in the lives of people around them. It is an inspiring and rewarding month, something we all look forward to every year. Helping with the renovations of the Al Rashad Centre for Autism was our way of showing support for this part of the community. More importantly , it has helped us raise awareness about autism and all the ways in which the centre caters to autistic people.”

This year’s Global Month of Service saw more than 882 Starbucks partners, 244 customers and 30 local suppliers volunteer a total of 7,764 hours to participate in community service initiatives held across 10 different markets: Kuwait, Qatar, KSA, UAE, Oman, Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon, Jordan and Bahrain.

Background Information

Starbucks Coffee Company

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting the highest quality coffee in the world. Today, with stores around the globe, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world.

As the premier vendor of the finest coffee, Starbucks is focused on delivering the best experience to every customer at each of its locations around the world, including Kuwait, KSA, UAE, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain & Oman in the Middle East region

Starcbucks work with many communities, and is committed to providing the Starbucks Experience while respecting the local customs and tastes of each country it operates in. It is also committed to hiring locally, currently providing nearly 2700 jobs for more than 30 nationalities including Arab nationals in over 300 operating stores in the region.

Starbucks stores have been operating in the Middle East since 1999 through a licensing agreement with trading partner and licensee MH Alshaya WLL, a private Kuwait family business.