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Community Corner

Starbucks Launches 'Create Jobs for USA'

Stop into the Gloucester Township location and donate to fund aimed at U.S. job creation.

Starting this week, you can help create jobs and grab an eggnog latte when you stop by the Starsbucks Coffee location on Blackwood Clementon Rd. 

Every Coffee Co.-owned location in the U.S. now has “Indivisible” wristbands available for a $5 donation. Donations will benefit the "Create Jobs for USA" Fund, which pools donations from Starbucks customers, employees and concerned citizens into a nationwide fund to be used for community business loans in the U.S. 

Starbucks seeded the fund with a $5 million contribution from their corporate foundation.

Find out what's happening in Gloucester Townshipwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The fund is managed by the Opportunity Finance Network, a national network of financial institutions the are dedicated to affordable lending to help low-income, low-wealth and other disadvantaged people and communities. 

The “Create Jobs for USA" program and "Indivisible" wristbands provide Americans an opportunity to help support job creation at a time when we have alarming unemployment and many struggling small businesses. The more we stimulate demand and increase the purchasing power of middle class consumers, the faster we will recover.

Find out what's happening in Gloucester Townshipwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"By making a donation to the 'Create Jobs for USA' Fund, Starbucks customers and concerned citizens can take meaningful action to help create and sustain American jobs,” said Starbucks chairman and CEO Howard Schultz in a press release. 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in Gloucester Township is 9.5 percent. In Camden County, the unemployment rate is 11 percent.

The New Jersey unemployment rate dropped to 9.2 percent in September, edging closer to the national unemployment rate of 9.1 percent, according to the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

The wristbands, which are red, white and blue, were handmade in the U.S. and all component materials were manufactured by U.S. suppliers. 

Editor's Note: Patch has an agreement with Starbucks to provide local news content for the Starbucks Web site in towns where there is a Patch.

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