Business

New Starbucks Program Will Pay Employees To Volunteer

The company hopes its new program will "deepen local impact."

New Starbucks Program Will Pay Employees To Volunteer
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Starbucks wants its employees to give back to the community.

The coffee company announced its launch of Starbucks Service Fellows. It's part of a partnership with Points of Light, an organization dedicated to volunteering. Employees will work at least 20 hours a week at their local store and up to 20 hours at local nonprofits while still receiving compensation and benefits.

In a press release, Starbucks says this allows its employees to "serve their communities and gain experience/skills in the nonprofit sector."

There will be 36 employees in 13 cities taking part in the six-month testing phase. If all goes well, Starbucks hopes to expand the program.

Correction: A previous version of this story suggested Starbucks would compensate service fellows for their nonprofit work. The fellows will receive compensation from Points of Light.

 Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.