POLL: Starbuck’s CEO Trying to Spur Job Growth

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz wants American companies to start hiring again and is asking customers to donate $5 to the Opportunity Finance Network, an organization that describes itself as community financial institutions investing in business ventures that benefit low-income, low-wealth, and other disadvantaged communities across America.

The network is made up of mostly non-profit lenders that work in underserved communities where credit is often hard to come by, according to a story on National Public Radio. The idea is to raise money to lend to new business ventures, putting more Americans to work.

Starbucks is putting up $5 million in seed money to jump start the program, and it has begun hiring. Here in King County, Starbucks employs about 7,000 people, including 4,000 in 236 company-operated stores. Those figures exclude locations Starbucks does not own, in places such as grocers and the airport, according to the Seattle Times.

There is one company store here in Enumclaw: