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Starbucks offering free coffee to first responders, medical staff during COVID-19 pandemic

Starbucks offering free coffee to first responders, medical staff during COVID-19 pandemic
Posted at 8:37 AM, Mar 25, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-25 12:17:52-04

SEATTLE, Wash. – Starting on Wednesday, Starbucks says it will offer free coffee to frontline responders through May 3.

Starbucks says any customer who identifies as a frontline responder to the COVID-19 pandemic will receive a tall brewed coffee (hot or iced) at no charge.

The offer is for police officers, firefighters, paramedics, doctors, nurses, hospital and medical staff and medical researchers, USA Today reports.

The company made the announcement Wednesday and added that the Starbucks Foundation would be donating $500,000 to two organizations helping support frontline responders.

Starbucks says $250,000 of that money will go to Operation Gratitude, an organization working to deliver 50,000 care packages to healthcare workers.

The other $250,000 will go to Direct Relief, an organization supporting the delivery of personal protective equipment and essential medical items.

The frontline responders seeking free coffee will likely need to do so in the Starbucks drive-thru. The company announced Friday that it would close access to cafes and reduce service to drive-thru and delivery only for two weeks in the U.S.