Starbucks will give first responders free coffee all this month

Starbucks has designated December as the month to offer a special thank-you to those who have been helping to fight COVID-19 the last nine months.

That thank-you to first responders will come in the form of free coffee throughout December for those frontline and health care workers. Health care workers can claim a free tall-sized brewed coffee — hot or iced. Earlier this year, Starbucks offered a similar deal and said “any customer who identifies as a first responder or frontline worker supporting the health care industry” qualifies for the free drink.

With the holiday season underway, thousands of health care workers are missing out on family time and risking their lives to continue to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

“It has been an extraordinarily difficult year, especially for the front-line responders who are serving our communities,” said Virginia Tenpenny, Starbucks vice president for Global Social Impact, in a statement Tuesday. “We want to show our deep gratitude for those who support and protect us every day with a small gesture of kindness and a cup of coffee.”

Besides doctors, nurses, paramedics, police and firefighters, the offer includes pharmacists, dispatchers, dentists and dental hygienists, mental health workers (therapists, psychologists, social workers, counselors), hospital staffers such as those who work in janitorial, housekeeping and security roles, and active-duty military. The offer is valid until Dec. 31.

Many of those workers praised the international coffee company for the gesture of gratitude.