| January 14, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Kristin Hayden; Tel 206-223-7703, info@oneworld-now.org
$10,000 STARBUCKS FOUNDATION GRANT HAS BEEN AWARDED TO HELP ONE WORLD NOW!
(Seattle, WA) One World Now! and Seattle Starbucks locations are brewing up success for Seattle public high school students. As a result of their partnership, a $10,000 Starbucks Foundation grant has been awarded to help One World Now! further their dynamic leadership program for Seattle high school students. The grant will be presented to One World Now! on Martin Luther King Day at a special presentation at the Starbucks Support Center.
“Our relationship with Starbucks over the last year has been dynamic and rewarding,” says Kristin Hayden, Founder/Executive Director, One World Now! “This grant from Starbucks will surely help us leverage additional monies to support this important work. The best part is that we’re already seeing the positive impact that the leadership program is having on these students’ lives.”
The Starbucks Foundation grant will be used to support the expansion of One World Now’s after-school leadership program serving Seattle high schools. Through this program, 70 students from four Seattle public high schools meet weekly in downtown Seattle for an innovative leadership program which includes leadership training, guest speakers and diversity workshops.
The Starbucks Foundation awards literacy grants to nonprofit organizations focused on diversity and youth leadership. Grant applications are given priority based upon the Starbucks store partners’ (employees) commitment to their relationship with the organization through volunteer hours and further donations. This commitment builds on Starbucks goal of contributing positively to the community.
“Skills such as leadership and literacy are the building blocks of our society. Starbucks recognizes the importance of these skills, and we want to demonstrate our commitment to fostering these skills in the community,” says Lois Maag, zone community relations manager, Starbucks Coffee Company. “Starbucks partners play an essential role in the awarding of these grants. It’s important to Starbucks and our partners to make a real difference by building positive relationships in the communities where we live and work.” The partnership between One World Now! and Starbucks multi-faceted and has led additional initiatives such as the Starbucks Global Arts Project. Thanks to the support from the Starbucks Store at 1st and Yesler, an international artist has teamed up with One World Now! students for a global art project. Their final work will be displayed at the Starbucks Store on 1st and Yesler for the month of February. One World Now! is an after school global leadership program dedicated to providing world languages (Arabic and Chinese) and leadership training, as well as study abroad and community service opportunities to primarily economically disadvantaged youth. With an impressive Board roster of community leaders, the program has also leveraged partnerships with local organizations like Associates in Cultural Exchange, MAVIN Foundation, the University of Washington as well as IIPP, a special program of the United Negro College Fund. One World Now! is a project of the Tides Center. For more information, visit www.oneworld-now.org.
Starbucks Coffee Company is the leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world, with retail locations in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific Rim. The Company is committed to offering the highest quality coffee and the Starbucks Experience while conducting its business in ways that produce social, environmental and economic benefits for communities in which it does business. |