Starbucks Puerto Rico Marks 20 Years of “Don’t Let It Fall” Volunteer Initiative, Announces $20,000 in Local Grants to Strengthen Coffee Communities
San Juan, Puerto Rico, — Starbucks Puerto Rico, operated by Baristas del Caribe LLC, is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its signature community initiative, Don’t Let It Fall (“No Lo Dejes Caer”), with a renewed commitment to Puerto Rican coffee farmers – including $20,000 in locally-nominated grants to support coffee-growing communities.
As part of the celebration, The Starbucks Foundation has awarded $10,000 each to Banco de Alimentos de Puerto Rico and Productores de Café de Puerto Rico, Inc. (PROCAFE) through its Global Community Impact Grants program. These grants will support food security and youth leadership development in coffee-growing communities close to where there is Starbucks coffeehouse presence.
- Banco de Alimentos de Puerto Rico will provide nutrition education and weekend meals for a year to food-insecure youth in Maricao.
- PROCAFE will empower young Puerto Ricans through leadership and conservation initiatives.
“We want to make a real difference for our Starbucks partners (employees), our customers, and the communities we are part of,” said Kelly Goodejohn, Starbucks chief impact officer and executive director of The Starbucks Foundation. “With our Global Community Impact Grants, we ask our market partners to tell us which local causes matter most to them — and then The Starbucks Foundation supports those causes with funding to help make a positive impact. Showing up for our communities in a way that is relevant to them is Starbucks at its best.”
A Tradition of Supporting Coffee and Community
Launched in 2005, Don’t Let It Fall began when Starbucks accepted an invitation from the Puerto Rico Farmers Association to help collect coffee seeds across the island. Since then, more than 1,700 Starbucks partners, customers, and volunteers have joined the effort, visiting local haciendas during the busy harvest season and helping farmers gather over 8,800 pounds of ripe coffee cherries across farms in five mountainous municipalities.
The name Don’t Let It Fall is both literal and symbolic—encouraging the collection of ripe coffee cherries before they fall and go to waste, and preserving Puerto Rico’s rich coffee heritage. Each year, Starbucks Puerto Rico also donates to a nonprofit organization near the farms to deepen the initiative’s local impact.
This year, 60 Starbucks partners visited Hacienda Encantos in Jayuya, collecting ripe coffee cherries and supporting the farm’s production. Upcoming visits to Hacienda San Pedro and Hacienda Moraika will continue the tradition.
Long-Term Commitment to Puerto Rican Coffee
Starbucks has made significant contributions to Puerto Rico’s coffee industry, including the donation of two million coffee seeds to help farmers recover after Hurricane María. The company also partnered with The Starbucks Foundation, Fonalledas Foundation, and World Coffee Research to improve coffee seed quality and sustainability. These efforts build on a long-term commitment to Puerto Rico’s coffee sector from recovery to resilience and future growth.
“Don’t Let It Fall reflects our deep respect for Puerto Rican coffee farmers and the communities that sustain this tradition,” said Idis Ortiz-López, General Manager of Starbucks Puerto Rico. “We’re proud to celebrate 20 years of impact and look forward to continuing this journey together.”
To learn more about the Starbucks Experience, visit www.starbuckspr.com.
About Starbucks
Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with more than 40,000 stores worldwide, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at about.starbucks.com or starbucks.com.
About Baristas del Caribe, LLC.
Baristas del Caribe originated in 2015 through an exclusive license to operate Starbucks® stores in Puerto Rico. Since then, the growth of the brand in Puerto Rico has continued with the opening of new stores and the provision of more innovative products and services for the thousands of brand enthusiasts on the island. Baristas del Caribe is part of a local Puerto Rican family group whose origins date back to the late nineteenth century and include assets in agroindustry, commercial real estate, shopping centers and QSR’s.
The Starbucks Foundation
The Starbucks Foundation strengthens humanity by transforming lives across the world, with a focus on enabling community resiliency and prosperity and uplifting communities affected by disaster. Established in 1997, The Starbucks Foundation is a Section 501(c)(3) charitable organization under U.S. law. Learn more at About Starbucks.
