SEATTLE, 2014-10-8— /EPR Retail News/ — Starbucks and its customers are donating $75,000 to Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll’s A Better Seattle – the coach’s initiative to reduce youth violence by providing education, resources and opportunities through outreach workers in several Western Washington cities.
Part of the $75,000 contribution comes from customers in Washington who used a limited-edition Starbucks Seahawks card last month. Starbucks contributed 25-cents each time customers paid for their store purchases with the card.
“Here in our hometown, we unabashedly and proudly partner with others like Coach Carroll, the Seahawks and the YMCA to invest in opportunities for young people,” said Rodney Hines, director of Community Investments for Starbucks. “The work that A Better Seattle supports is critical and through the enthusiastic involvement of our customers, we’ve been able to raise funds that are imperative for sustaining needed resources for Seattle-area youth.”
In partnership with the YMCA’s Alive & Free program, A Better Seattle will use the funds to provide support systems, life skill coaching and resources for Seattle-area youth.
“We meet young people in the community who are at risk of being involved with violence or the juvenile justice system and connect them with services that will make a positive change in their lives,” said Sean Goode, is Alive & Free South King County Supervisor.
Goode is familiar with the area he’s now serving. He grew up in South King County with an older brother who was sent to jail at the age of 14 for committing a violent crime. Goode might have followed that unfortunate path if not for his brother who, after being released from incarceration as a 20 year old, steered him away from crime.
“Today it is really rich to be able to give back to my community and provide them with the outreach that my brother gave me,” he said. “We’re giving young people an opportunity to change their lives. That creates a better Seattle.”
For more information on this news release, contact the Starbucks Newsroom.
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