Last October, the Community Outreach Committee of nonprofit Advocates for Immigrants in Detention Northwest (“AIDNW”) organized a warm coat drive so immigrants held in the NW Ice Processing center could “feel the warmth” of the South Sound community instead of the usual northwest rain and wind when released. The AIDNW committee contacted the Starbucks Gig Harbor, WA, store manager for coat collection support via bins. This contact evolved to include assistance to AIDNW from the Starbucks new Pacific Northwest Refugee & Immigrant Alliance (“PNWRIA”).

Besides donating 140 coats collected in October from numerous Starbucks coffee shop bins, in January the Starbucks PNWRIA co-directors visited the AIDNW “Welcome Center” RV parked outside the immigrant release gate at the detention center. Arriving with many boxes of new winter coats, they offered released immigrants pumpkin bread and coffee as the AIDNW volunteers there booked outbound flights and charged phones. “The released detainees from Iran, Cuba, the D.R., India, Nicaragua, and Ukraine definitely felt the joint community effort to welcome them”, commented AIDNW volunteer Sahja.

The Starbucks managers co-directing the PNWRIA wanted to further help new immigrants to our community, so AIDNW invited them to visit the nonprofit’s Hospitality House in March. They viewed the immigrant housing that AIDNW provides to those released detainees who need temporary shelter and meals. There, plans were made by Starbucks and AIDNW to fix up the landscaping around the house.

Each month from May to August this year, Starbucks partners and managers, along with some AIDNW volunteers, convened at the house to pull weeds, trim bushes, amend soil in foundation and raised beds, then plant vegetables and perennials. In early June, a group of Starbucks managers and partners threw a generous picnic party on the house lawn for AIDNW volunteers and resident immigrants at the house. After finishing the yard beautification in August, Starbucks managers donated boxes of art and craft supplies to help relieve the boredom of detained individuals still inside the detention center.

Ben Jones, a Starbucks Tacoma District Manager, and co-director of the PNWRIA, explained Starbucks unique corporate social responsibility (“CSR”) program: “Localized partner-led initiatives that help immigrants and refugees through employee volunteer hours are matched by the corporation in funds, enabling Starbucks employee volunteers to make financial donations to the nonprofit they are helping along with their time donation.” He also explained, “As several thousand Starbucks partners in western Washington learn about AIDNW through the company’s internal employee platform, at a designated time, the Starbucks partner employees vote to make a significant community grant to a nonprofit.”

“Organizing events, raising awareness, volunteering, and company match fundraising are all impactful ways to support AIDNW’s programs,” says Patti Kilpatrick, the AIDNW committee chairperson. “Starbucks PNW Refugee & Immigrant Alliance have partnered with AIDNW to do exactly that, and we offer our thanks to the Starbucks team for rolling up their sleeves and dedicating time to make our community a welcoming place for newly arrived immigrants from all over the world.”