Eighteen employees of Sacramento-area Starbucks stores,
as well as six Volunteers of America clients, took brushes
and rollers to the walls of the Winter Shelter June 18, 2008,
for an off-season spruce-up. Starbucks staff included Tina Black, Erin O’Neill, Jen Cuniglio, Dena Williamson, Amy Caskey, Chelsea Betti, Carmela Maldonack, Jenn Mountjn, Melissa Usher, Brandi Sanders, Nate Sengmany, Fahimeh Sarang, Susan Than, Rhonda Vega and Rob Daehn.

Sacramento-area Starbucks stores and their employees have supported Volunteers of America for more than six years.

Employee volunteers have pitched in to paint and decorate transitional housing and emergency shelter facilities, adopted families at Christmas, helped renovate housing facilities for Hurricane Katrina survivors, and collected hats, scarves, gloves and socks for the Gift of Warmth drive, as well as backpacks and school supplies for Operation Backpack.

On June 18, 2008, 18 Starbucks staff members, led by district manager Tina Black, traded biscotti for brushes and went to work on phase one of the Winter Shelter interior repainting project.

Assisted by five Volunteers of America program clients, the group gave the shelter a fresh look just in time for an upcoming series of Operation Backpack staging events, which will be held at the shelter during its seasonal closure.

“It’s part of our culture to be involved with the community that surrounds us,” said Black. “We love what we do and want to share it with others.”

Participating Starbucks employees included Black, Erin O’Neill, Jen Cuniglio, Dena Williamson, Amy Caskey, Chelsea Betti, Carmela Maldonack, Jenn Mountjn, Melissa Usher, Brandi Sanders, Nate Sengmany, Fahimeh Sarang, Susan Than, Rhonda Vega and Rob Daehn.

Sacramento-area Starbucks will again host Operation Backpack collection boxes this summer, with 39 stores participating in the July 11 to 25 campaign (see the list of Operation Backpack drop-off locations). “Being able to support children and families in need that reside in our local communities, and the ability to make a lasting difference in the lives of these children is something we aspire to do as we participate in activities such as Operation Backpack,” said Black.

For information on how you can volunteer on behalf of Volunteers of America, please see our “Volunteering” page, or contact Volunteers of America Community Relations Manager Kim Castaneda at (916) 442-3691 or KimC@voa-sac.org.