SAN ANTONIO – Starbucks is helping in the fight against the coronavirus by giving first responders a free coffee daily through May 3.
The coffee retailer shared details on the company’s website saying front-line responders -- like police officers, firefighters, paramedics and health care workers -- “will receive a tall brewed coffee (hot or iced) at no charge.”
Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson also announced Sunday that all retail employees will continue to receive pay for “the next 30 days whether or not their store is closed, or they are otherwise unable, or even uncomfortable, coming to work,” citing the company’s belief that “no partner should be asked to choose between work and their health.”
Additionally, the Starbucks Foundation is donating $500,000 to Direct Relief and Operation Gratitude support first responders.
COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March.
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