Starbucks Will Now Be Delivering Unsold Food To Hungry Americans

Starbucks has announced plans to increase its philanthropic efforts, donating any unsold bistro paninis, pastries, and bistro boxes to local pantries for those in need.

According to the latest statistics from Feeding America, one in seven Americans goes hungry every day, or 46.7 million people, including 15.5 million children.

By this time next year, 7,600 Starbucks stores will be participating in the anti-hunger initiative known as FoodShare, which will both combat poverty and reduce food waste. The ready-to-eat meals will be distributed with the help of Feeding America, one of the largest hunger non-profits in the nation.

"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."

Starbucks anticipates that it will be able to donate five million meals in the first year of FoodShare's operation in 2017, and that number will grow to 50 million meals by 2021.