KINGSTON, JAMAICA — December 10, 2025 — The MultiCare Youth Foundation (MYF) and its partners celebrated the successful completion of the Starbucks YUTE Work II programme in October, highlighting transformational achievements for 53 young Jamaicans who gained life skills, employability training, and opportunities for long-term economic mobility.
Over the past eight months, the programme delivered targeted interventions to out-of-school and out-of-work youth ages 16–29 from vulnerable communities near Starbucks coffeehouses in Kingston & St. Andrew and St. Catherine. This second iteration builds on the success of the original 2018–2019 pilot delivered by The MYF, the philanthropic arm of the ICD Group, Starbucks – operated in Jamaica by Caribbean Coffee Baristas Limited (CCBL) – and The Starbucks Foundation. For the 2025 renewal, CCBL and The Sandals Foundation joined as additional sponsors.
During the Close-Out Ceremony at the Courtleigh Hotel, MYF Executive Director Mitzian Turner emphasized the power of coordinated social interventions to transform lives and communities.
“The Project’s results highlight the importance of social interventions in bringing about change at the community and grassroots levels,” Turner said. “Participants have been provided with mentorship support, economic opportunities, employable skills and certification that will last them a lifetime, and which, if applied, can bring about real alternatives to crime and violence.”
Turner also expressed gratitude to the programme’s donors for “believing in the power of (MYF’s) theory of change” and trusting The Foundation to guide this second iteration.
This initiative is made possible thanks to The Starbucks Foundation’s Global Community Impact Grants — a global philanthropic portfolio committed to investing in locally relevant youth empowerment and community-development programmes where Starbucks operates worldwide. Since its launch in 2022, The Starbucks Foundation has awarded more than US$14 million to over 200 nonprofit organizations across 62 international markets, reinforcing Starbucks’ commitment to empowering communities.
Key achievements of the 2025 Starbucks YUTE Work II program
Despite an initial target to recruit 30 young people, The MYF enrolled a total of 54 to mitigate natural attrition. Turner reported that the programme yielded strong outcomes, including:
- 53 participants completed Life and Employability Skills Training, with 29 earning certification for attending more than 50% of sessions.
- 25 participants enrolled in Vocational Skills Training, preparing for roles as Customer Service Representatives or Customer Installation Technicians.
- More than 20 participants completed internships, gaining valuable on-the-job experience.
- 18 participants were matched with mentors to support both their personal and professional development.
- Participants also received critical additional support, including food and transportation stipends, help obtaining Food Handler’s Permits and civil registration documents, organizational referrals, and job-placement assistance.
Turner extended MYF’s appreciation to the programme’s community partners, including trainers and facilitators, Gomex Training Institute, Pembrook Hall High School, Community Liaisons, and Faith Assembly of God, whose collaboration was essential in delivering local impact.
The Starbucks YUTE Work II programme continues to demonstrate the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration in creating safe, supportive pathways for youth in marginalized communities. Through skills development, mentorship, and economic opportunities, the initiative helps build stronger communities and empowers Jamaica’s next generation to shape their own futures.
“By leveraging The Starbucks Foundation’s global grant-making framework, the programme exemplifies how international philanthropy can produce meaningful local impact — delivering concrete opportunities for youth in Jamaica while aligning with a broader global mission of community upliftment,” said Roxanne Dixon-Rose, regional director at Caribbean Coffee Baristas Limited.
About the MultiCare Youth Foundation (MYF)
The MultiCare Youth Foundation (MYF) is an award-winning youth development organization providing critical social intervention programme for vulnerable young Jamaicans. We are “In the business of changing lives” by creating positive pathways for at-risk youth through various holistic programmes, projects and opportunities designed to advance workforce development and respond to our protégées’ needs and potential. Our service model features five critical pillars: Life Skills, Vocational Skills, Mentorship, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Paid Internships.
The MYF is a hybrid organization: part NGO and the charitable arm of The ICD Group. We are the amalgamation of three youth-serving organizations, legally merged on March 31, 2017:
- The MultiCare Foundation was established in 1993 to enrich the lives of children in 32 underserved schools through sports and the visual and performing arts.
- Youth Upliftment Through Employment (YUTE) was launched in 2010 to provide skills training and employment opportunities for unattached, at-risk youth.
- The premier mentoring organization in Jamaica, Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU), was founded in 1991.
For more information, visit our website at myfjamaica.org.
About The Starbucks Foundation
The Starbucks Foundation strengthens humanity by transforming lives across the world, with a focus on enabling community resiliency and prosperity and uplifting communities affected by disaster. Established in 1997, The Starbucks Foundation is a Section 501(c)(3) charitable organization under U.S. law. Learn more at about.starbucks.com/the-starbucks-foundation/.
About Caribbean Coffee Traders Limited (CCTL)
Caribbean Coffee Traders Limited (CCTL) is a consortium led by restaurant management and franchise operator of Margaritaville Caribbean Group and Chairman of Sandals Resorts International. Since 2017, Caribbean Coffee Traders Limited holds the exclusive rights to operate Starbucks stores in Jamaica, 2019 in the Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands, 2020 in Panama and 2021 in Barbados. Through its commitment to maintaining operational standards, providing extraordinary customer experience, and serving the community, the brand continues to expand and integrate in communities across the Caribbean region. Today with a total of 11 stores opened, Caribbean Coffee Baristas Limited, licensed franchise holder led by Adam Stewart and Ian Dear; continues to fulfill its commitment to open more stores across Jamaica, offering customers the highest quality coffee and an unmatched Starbucks Experience.
About the Sandals Foundation
The Sandals foundation is a registered charity in Jamaica with the Department of Co-operatives and Friendly Societies, a CRA registered charity in Canada, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the United States and a registered charity with the Charity Commission for England & Wales that was created in March 2009 to continue and expand upon the philanthropic work that Sandals Resorts International has undertaken. It is the culmination of over four decades of dedication to playing a meaningful role in the lives of the communities where we operate across the Caribbean. The Sandals Foundation funds projects in three core areas: education, community and the environment. One hundred percent of the monies contributed by the general public to the Sandals Foundation go directly to programs benefiting the Caribbean community. To learn more about the Sandals Foundation, visit online at www.sandalsfoundation.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X .
