![Employees at the Starbucks in Crestview were given special aprons to wear Thursday after it was designated as a military family store. [ASHLEIGH WILDE/GATEHOUSE MEDIA FLORIDA]](http://127.0.0.1/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ghows-DA-8770c961-a5c6-4c5a-e053-0100007f7dfe-fe8c6907-scaled.jpeg)
CRESTVIEW — Starbucks was dedicated as a military family store Thursday morning during a ceremony that recognized the store’s efforts to support local troops and their families.
It was the 55th time a Starbucks was honored as a military family store.
“These are stores that are in or adjacent to military communities around the country and essentially reflect their community,” said Christopher Schmidt, Starbucks' global responsibility’s veterans and military affairs manager. “Military service is family business, it’s community business.
“It’s very, very personal. This is more of an opportunity to recognize that and to encourage everyone to keep on doing what we’re doing, then do more,” Schmidt added.
Crestview's Starbucks has eight employees who are affiliated with the military, either by having served or being married to someone serving in the military.
One of them is store manager Lenae Harris.
Harris, who has been manager for a year, is a military spouse who started her journey with Starbucks in Washington as a barista and slowly worked her way up. Harris had to rise through the ranks at different locations each time her husband was transferred to a new base.
“The transition is so smooth and easy because the company supports you," Harris said. “It’s such a great company to work for when you have that support behind you that helps guide you to your next location."
Harris said she was happy when she found out her Starbucks was going to be dedicated as a military family store.
“We have so many bases around us and it’s such a military community. I think to bring that community in here and open that up to everyone is great,” Harris said. “It really represents who we are, and it opens up a gate for that community to come in and feel welcome and feel like they belong.”
Schmidt announced during the ceremony that Starbucks would donate $10,000 to the United Service Organization (USO) Northwest Florida.
Dana Cervantes, USO Northwest Florida's senior director, fought back tears as she spoke after the announcement.
“USO Northwest Florida is one of the largest USO organizations in the country,” Cervantes said. “I can’t tell you what the partnership that we have with Starbucks means to us.
“From the bottom of my heart, on behalf of my whole staff and all 300 volunteers, we cannot appreciate Starbucks enough.”
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview Starbucks honored for military involvement