United Way Hands On, formerly Hands On Birmingham, in partnership with Points of Light and The Starbucks Foundation, was selected to participate in an innovative service model inspired by national service.
Following a successful six-month pilot last year, the full-scale program will expand to seven new markets, reaching 20 cities and engaging 100 Starbucks partners (employees), including Fellows in Birmingham. The program is designed to provide needed day-to-day support to local nonprofit organizations while providing an opportunity for Starbucks partners to pursue their personal passion for getting involved in their communities.
“We are honored that our involvement and impact in community service has helped Starbucks choose Birmingham as one of its new markets for their Fellows Program,” said Benga Harrison, Director, United Way Hands On, the volunteer center for Central Alabama.“It’s exciting that we will have this resource of motivated Starbucks employees who are ready to serve and inspire others. The ripple effect of the Starbucks Foundation Service Fellows program will be a model for our community.”
During their service term, the fellows will work part-time for Points of Light, expanding the capacity United Way Hands On and our community partners to meet our missions, while continuing to work part time at Starbucks. This experience plays an important role in exposing the fellows to future civic and community engagement opportunities while expanding their professional skills and experiences.
Following an application process that kicked off this week, the first group of 50 Starbucks partners will be selected as Service Fellows, to begin in September with sector education and organizational onboarding, and their service terms will run from October 2019 through March 2020. The second group of Service Fellows will serve April through October 2020.