Starbucks Slander

NOTE: This is from another blog...but I recently recieved the same Starbucks email the following article refers too, and, subsequently, revieved the link to this article in a reply email...I did not forward the message, so the "I" in the article refers to the author and not to me.

Always Confirm your source!

By Jim Avichouser

I recently received an email forward from forwarded messages produced from forwarded messages, ad nauseum. In my usual manner I forwarded this message to the recipients I believed might be most interested in the content. After some reflection, I began to feel uneasy about the content and chose to contact the company that stood as example in the message concerning their purported non-support of the war in Iraq and anyone participating in that conflict. I will present the exchange as it occurred for your perusal:>

Subject: FW: Starbucks>>

Recently Marines in Iraq wrote to Starbucks because they wanted to let them know how much they liked their coffees and to request that they send some of it to the troops there.

Starbucks replied, telling the Marines thank you for their support of their business, but that Starbucks does not support the war, nor anyone in it, and that they would not send the troops their brand of coffee. So as not to offend Starbucks, maybe we should not support them by buying any of their products!

As a war vet writing to fellow patriots, I feel we should get this out in the open. I know this war might not be very popular with some folks, but that doesn't mean we don't support the boys on the ground fighting street-to-street and house-to-house for what they and I believe is right.

If you feel the same as I do then pass this along, or you can discard it and no one will never know.
Thanks very much for your support. I know you'll all be there again when I deploy once more.

"Semper Fidelis."
Sgt Howard C. Wright
1st Force Recon Co
1st Plt PLT

As I say, I forwarded this message as received without thought. Later after questions by my wife and sister-in-law, I chose to contact Starbucks at their public relations office as follows:

Hello Jim,
Thank you for taking the time to contact Starbucks regarding coffee donations to those serving in our armed forces.Starbucks, our customers, and our partners (employees) respect the efforts of the U.S. men and women who serve their country in the military. Starbucks and its partners (employees) have consistently demonstrated their support of military personnel in a number of ways. A few examples of their generosity include:

• Each week Starbucks partners (employees) receive one free pound of coffee. On an individual, grass roots level, many partners (employees) in the U. S. have collected their free coffee and shipped thousands of pounds of Starbucks coffee overseas.
• Partners in our Atascadero, California store sent their personal weekly allotment of coffee to troops in Afghanistan so they would be able to enjoy a little taste of home.
• Our customer relations department in Seattle donated hundreds of pounds of coffee to the sailors on the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier.
• On Sept. 21, 2006, Starbucks was honored with the Freedom Award during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. The Freedom Award, the highest award bestowed by the Department of Defense in recognition of an employer, was created in 1996 by President Bill Clinton and Secretary of Defense William Perry to publicly recognize American employers who provide exceptional support to their employees who voluntarily serve the nation in the National Guard and Reserve.
• Starbucks employs approximately 90 U.S. partners (employees) who serve in the military and are currently on active duty. In support of their efforts, Starbucks provides a supplement to make up the difference between their military pay and their pay level at Starbucks before they went on leave. The partner (employee) can continue health coverage, and family health coverage, if enrolled, for up to 18 months. Partners (employees) are guaranteed a position upon return from active duty, except in rare circumstances, as permitted under the Federal Military Leave Laws; additionally, tenure at Starbucks is also kept while on active duty.
• To enhance our U.S. partners' (employees) efforts in support of U.S. military troops, Starbucks is honored to extend our relationship with the American Red Cross in order to provide more coffee to relief efforts during times of conflict. On multiple occasions, Starbucks has donated 50,000 lbs of coffee to the American Red Cross for distribution to those troops serving in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait.

In response to an email concerning Starbucks lack of military personnel support, we replied to an e-mail circulating on the Internet that contained misinformation about the Company. Starbucks contacted its author, a Marine Sergeant, who subsequently sent an e-mail to his original distribution list correcting his mistake, the text of which is:

"Dear Readers,

Almost 5 months ago I sent an e-mail to you my faithful friends. I did a
wrong thing that needs to be cleared up. I heard by word of mouth about how
Starbucks said they didn't support the war and all. I was having enough of that
kind of talk and didn't do my research properly like I should have. This is not
true. Starbucks supports men and women in uniform. They have personally
contacted me and I have been sent many copies of their company's policy on this
issue. So I apologize for this quick and wrong letter that I sent out to you.Now
I ask that you all pass this email around to everyone you passed the last one
to. Thank you very much for understanding about this.

Sgt Howard C.
Wright
1st Force Recon Co
1st Plt PLT
dated: August 17, 2004"