Starbucks Did Something Right!


Those of us who have adopted from Ethiopia have a love/hate relationship with Starbucks. There was the human rights issue where Starbucks fought to own the brand name for Ethiopian coffee. This would, in essence, cheat Ethiopian coffee growers out of a lot of money and was in no way fair or ethical. Recently Starbucks caved, so I no longer have to feel uber-guilty when I crave a peppermint latte. As for Starbucks' other issues--like their carbon footprint or contributions to obesity, well, I'll leave that up to you to wrestle with.

{But} Starbucks is making a major move in the right direction this winter. On Dec 1, World Aids Day, buy any hand-crafted beverage and they will give 5¢ to the Global Fund to help save lives in Africa. Totally amazing and completely wonderful! Do you have any idea how much money could be raised on that day? I am also pretty sure that for the rest of Dec. and into Jan, when you purchase certain drinks, Starbucks will contribute a portion to the RED campaign, which is set up to provide life-saving medicine and support to AIDS victims in Africa.

So mark your calendars and tell your friends. Buy some hot drinks on Dec. 1!