Tears roll down Teva Sakima’s cheeks as she describes the look of heartbreak on her parents’ faces when they struggled to put food on the table. She remembers family meals as a child with very little to go around. 
 
 “Those feelings are hard to forget,” she said. “Nobody should go to bed hungry. It’s not okay.” 
 
 An estimated 15 million children live in households where adequate, nutritious food is limited. They’re among the nearly 50 million Americans who are struggling to avoid hunger today, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 
 
 Sakima, now shift supervisor of a Starbucks store, is one of many partners (employees) who have wanted to feed people who face hunger by donating surplus food from Starbucks stores. The idea sounds simple, but food safety policies required baristas to discard salads, sandwiches and other refrigerated items after the designated expiration date even if the food could still be consumed. 
 
 Starbucks has been investing in research and quality assurance testing to develop a way to safely donate fresh food. 
 
 Today, Starbucks is announcing FoodShare – a program to donate ready-to-eat meals to food banks from its 7,600 company-operated stores in the U.S. Initially, this will be accomplished through an existing collaboration with Food Donation Connection and a new partnership with Feeding America. 
 
 In the first year alone, Starbucks® FoodShare will be able to provide nearly 5 million meals to individuals and families in need of nourishing food. Starbucks intends to scale this program over the next five years and rescue 100 percent of its food available for donation from participating company-operated U.S. stores. That amounts to almost 50 million meals by 2021. 
 
 “Like many of our social impact initiatives, the innovation and inspiration comes from our partners who are volunteering in and contributing to their communities,” said John Kelly, senior vice president, Starbucks Global Responsibility, Community and Public Policy. “They saw the need for us to do more, and find a way to use our scale to bring more nourishing and ready-to-eat meals to those in need.” 
 
 ‘Partners are the heroes’ 
 
 Since 2010, Starbucks stores have donated pastries through the support of Food Donation Connection (FDC), a service provider that collects pastries at the company’s stores after they can no longer be sold to customers. Starbucks worked with FDC to develop a safe process to add perishable food to the pick-up, which will be implemented in participating company-operated stores in the U.S. by this time next year. 
 
 “When we thought about our vast store footprint across the U.S. and the impact we could make, it put a fire under us to figure out how to donate this food instead of throwing it away,” said Jane Maly, brand manager, Starbucks Food team. “The challenge was finding a way to preserve the food’s quality during delivery. We focused on maintaining the temperature, texture and flavor of the surplus food, so when it reached a person in need, they could safely enjoy it.” 
 
 Starbucks recently established a partnership with Feeding America – the largest domestic hunger-relief and food-rescue nonprofit in the U.S. – to redistribute unsold food. Through this process, a refrigerated van will pick up food from Starbucks stores each day and deliver it to the Feeding America network. 
 
 “This food is going to make a difference, whether it’s a child not going hungry for the night or a family that’s able to enjoy a protein plate that they would not have otherwise been able to afford at Starbucks,” said Kienan McFadden, a Starbucks store manager. “Rescuing food in this way from being thrown away will change lives. It makes me proud to know partners are the heroes in this.” 
 
 Living Our Values 
 
 The company’s new program could potentially expand with refrigerated vans making additional stops at other restaurants that join in the effort, increasing the impact exponentially. 
 
 “We applaud Starbucks for its leadership and commitment to ending hunger. Their program will have a tremendous impact in communities, and it is also a testament of how we can work together to help more individuals and families achieve food security,” said Diana Aviv, CEO of Feeding America. 
 
 In addition to feeding people who struggle with hunger, diverting food surplus from landfills furthers Starbucks goal to minimize the company’s environmental footprint and inspire other companies to do the same. With an estimated 70 billion pounds of food waste in America each year, according to Feeding America, Starbucks hopes to encourage other businesses to put a focus on food rescue. 
 
 “Our hope is by taking this first step, other companies will see the possibility for their participation and together we will make great strides in combating hunger,” said Cliff Burrows, group president, Starbucks U.S. and Americas. “FoodShare will not only make our partners proud, but once again will allow us to live our values.” 
 
 For more information on this story, contact the Starbucks Newsroom 

 Isn't it nice to come across something positive for a change? 
 
 Yesterday, Starbucks announced Foodshare: a program that donates 100% of leftover food that doesn't get sold in stores. Starbucks has been testing the initiative through a new partnership with Feeding America, and plans now to roll out the program to 7,600 company-operated stores in the U.S. 
 
 Great idea. 
 
 Although not all food establishments donate leftover food, many do. According to CNN Money, stores like Chipotle, Cheesecake Factory and Olive Garden all have their own programs. And Starbucks has donated unsold pastries for years. 
 
 The problem is that many restaurants are hesitant to donate unused food because they're afraid they'll be liable if someone gets sick when eating it. Many vendors simply don't realize that the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, passed by Congress back in 1996, protects most food donors from liability. 
 
 But that's not the only problem. Donating leftover food, especially if it's highly perishable, can be a logistical nightmare. 
 
 "Until now, we didn't have a way to donate fresh, ready-to-eat food at scale," says Jane Maly, brand manager of the Starbucks food team. 
 
 Maly continues: 
 
 "It's really easy to donate pastries. Everybody does it. Fresh, refrigerated food? It's a whole different ballgame. So, we invested in a pilot with Feeding America and local food banks to develop a solution that ensures an efficient, safe process to donate our surplus, fresh food in our stores across the country." 
 
 The Real Heroes 
 
 So, who gets credit for the program that should provide close to 50 million meals in the next five years? 
 
 According to Starbucks, it's the same people who are taking your order and making your coffee. 
 
 In a statement released yesterday, the coffee giant says that a number of "partners" (employees) were convinced the company could feed people who face hunger by donating surplus food from Starbucks stores. 
 
 "Like many of our social impact initiatives, the innovation and inspiration comes from our partners who are volunteering in and contributing to their communities," said John Kelly, senior vice president, Starbucks Global Responsibility, Community and Public Policy. "They saw the need for us to do more, and find a way to use our scale to bring more nourishing and ready-to-eat meals to those in need." 
 
 One of those partners is store manager Kienan McFadden. "I think it's frustrating to throw away so much food--especially because you know that there are people that need it and that there's more things that we could do with it," says McFadden. 
 
 "That food is going to make a difference. Whether that's a child not going hungry for that night or a family that's able to enjoy a protein plate that they wouldn't otherwise be able to afford in Starbucks." 
 
 Another Starbucks partner (employee), supervisor Teva Sakima, knows what hunger feels like. Sakima describes a time when her parents struggled to put food on the table. She remembers family meals as a child with very little to go around. 
 
 "Those feelings are hard to forget," she said. "Nobody should go to bed hungry. It's not okay." 
 
 What You Can Learn 
 
 Kudos to Starbucks for what seems to be a far-reaching initiative that is sure to benefit many. It's right in line with CEO Howard Schultz's vision for the company. In his book Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time, Schultz wrote: 
 
 In this ever-changing society, the most powerful and enduring brands are built from the heart. They are real and sustainable. Their foundations are stronger because they are built with the strength of the human spirit, not an ad campaign. The companies that are lasting are those that are authentic. 
 
 But there's another lesson that you and your business can take away from the new Foodshare program: 
 
 Listen to your employees. 
 
 Whether you own or help manage a company of two people or 20,000, your people have brilliant and amazing ideas. They won't always seem brilliant and amazing at first, because there are always obstacles in the way. But if your culture supports statements like "That's impossible" or "But the other way is fine", then you'll never know what your employees truly have to offer. 
 
 Instead, work to build a culture of improvement. 
 
 Talk to your people--whether it's in pre-scheduled one-to-ones or simply walking around the office/shop floor. (You want to hear from all of your employees, including those who are introverted or who lack confidence.) Take advantage of idea or suggestion boxes and employee surveys to inspire conversations. 
 
 But be warned: None of these methods will work unless you make sure your employees know their value and potential. If they truly believe that great ideas can come from anywhere, they'll be motivated to share. 
 
 Of course, not every idea will be a hit--and that's okay. 
 
 The key is to reward the spirit of innovation and forward thinking, which will keep those ideas coming. 

 If you’ve ever wondered where all those Starbucks bagels and bistro boxes go after closing time, here's an answer you can get behind. 
 
 Starbucks has pledged to donate 100% of its leftover food through a new program called FoodShare, the company announced in a release on Tuesday. Starbucks created the initiative in partnership with nonprofit organization Feeding America and food collection group Food Donation Connection, and it will allow the company to donate perishable, ready-to-eat meals from its 7,600 stores to food banks nationwide. 
 
 SEE ALSO: 13 essential items you never thought to donate to those in need 
 
 According to Feeding America, more than 48 million Americans live in food-insecure households, where access to food isn’t always stable. More than 15% of households nationwide are considered food insecure — an issue Feeding America says impacts every county in the U.S. 
 
 How You Can Help Feeding America Solve Hunger? Read more or Donate at https://t.co/iqftAaJQEP @FeedingAmerica pic.twitter.com/sEwhRkjttH — Tim Fargo (@alphabetsuccess) March 19, 2016 
 
 But food scarcity for low-income families isn’t the only food-related issue within the U.S. Waste also plays a role in the nation’s food problem. An estimated 70 billion pounds of food waste is produced across the U.S. each year, according to Feeding America. 
 
 “A family [can] enjoy a protein plate that they would not have otherwise been able to afford at Starbucks.” 
 
 Through its new program, Starbucks hopes to help ease the burden of food scarcity on families while also eliminating the company's direct contribution to food waste statistics. 
 
 Here's how it will work: Food Donation Connection and Feeding America will pick up food each day from Starbucks company-operated locations in the U.S. via refrigerated vans. That perishable food, previously considered risky to donate due to its refrigeration needs, will then reach food banks and rescue agencies like those in the Feeding America network. The process, from food leaving the store to it reaching those who need it most, takes 24 hours or less. 
 
 "This food is going to make a difference, whether it’s a child not going hungry for the night or a family that’s able to enjoy a protein plate that they would not have otherwise been able to afford at Starbucks," Starbucks store manager Kienan McFadden said in the release. "Rescuing food ... from being thrown away will change lives." 
 
 Image: Starbucks 
 
 Though a commitment to donate 100% of unused food is new to the corporation, Starbucks has been reducing its food waste through donations for years. Stores have donated uneaten pastries to food banks since 2010 — a common practice in the food service industry, especially for major corporations. 
 
 But the company hasn't historically donated perishable foods because of logistical issues. It’s a trickier donation pipeline, one that requires refrigeration and food-safety monitoring of donated meals, practices that don’t apply to pastry donation. 
 
 Starbucks says it has been working on this process, making perishable food donations a reality by investing in "research and quality assurance testing" with pilot programs around the U.S. One of the pilot programs took place in Phoenix, Arizona, in July. Starbucks said they knew if they could get the refrigeration process right there, it could work anywhere. 
 
 Image: Starbucks 
 
 “When you start introducing perishable food, it’s a whole different ballgame,” Jane Maly, brand manager of Starbucks Food team, told Mashable. “You have to maintain temperature in a very strict range to make sure you are keeping it safe.” 
 
 The push to donate perishable food came from within the Starbucks family, with employees reaching out to management via surveys and direct emails to express the need for more comprehensive donation practices. 
 
 “They had the courage to tell us that they just couldn’t stand this anymore,” Maly said. “They challenged us for a solution, and we dedicated a team to it and all this time. Now, they can celebrate that their voices were heard.” 
 
 “[Store employees] had the courage to tell us that they just couldn’t stand this anymore.” 
 
 In the first year alone, Starbucks projects its FoodShare program will be able to provide an estimated 5 million meals to individuals and families in need. 
 
 "[We] are rescuing food, feeding people in need and bringing awareness to a critical issue facing our communities," Ross Fraser, director of media relations for Feeding America, told Mashable. "We hope to inspire others that don’t currently donate unsold food to find a way. This is an exciting opportunity to be a part of something bigger." 
 
 
 
 Starbucks intends to scale this program over the next five years, meaning it will steadily roll out the perishable food donation across the country until 100% of the corporation’s leftover food from company-operated stores is donated daily. 
 
 UPDATE: March 22, 2016, 3:52 p.m. EDT This post has been updated to add comment from Starbucks. 
 
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– Some 70 billion pounds of food is wasted in the US annually—but you won't find a single unused Starbucks spinach and feta breakfast wrap in the mix by 2021. The company announced Tuesday it plans to donate 100% of unsold food within five years as part of a new FoodShare program with Food Donation Connection and Feeding America. The concept: Refrigerated trucks will eventually show up daily at 7,600 US locations, load all unsold perishable food, and deliver it to food banks, reports Mashable. Starbucks already donates its pastries—Chipotle, Cheesecake Factory, KFC, Olive Garden, and Taco Bell also donate food, per CNNMoney—but "it's really easy to donate pastries," says a brand manager of the company's food team, per Inc. "Fresh, refrigerated food? It's a whole different ballgame." That's because food-safety policies and refrigeration requirements are much more involved. So what finally pushed the company to make a change? Its employees. "Our people just felt so badly," says CEO Howard Schultz. (A Starbucks press release on the program opens with a shift supervisor's recollection of experiencing hunger as a child.) Pilot programs (including one in Phoenix's July heat) proved the concept, and Starbucks says it will provide almost 5 million meals to those in need within the first year of the program; by 2021, it expects that number to be nearly 50 million. Other restaurants could take advantage of Starbucks' refrigerated trucks to add to the impact, the company adds. (This supermarket sells only expired food.)