HARKER HEIGHTS, TX — Starbucks is dedicated to hiring veterans and military family members, as it can be hard for them to find a stable job sometimes.
According to Starbucks, between 16 and 18 percent of military spouses suffer from unemployment.
Fiona Lane is new to the military lifestyle, her husband has served three years in artillery support. Already employed with the Starbucks company in Montana, it was easy for her to transfer when they had to move to Ft. Hood.
She quickly realized that she was lucky to have a stable job being a military spouse.
"I was just really shocked but I was really lucky because when I came down here I was already employed," Lane said.
Lane says it could be hard for military family members to find a job because employers aren't sure of their next move.
"The ever changing military lifestyle I think that it can be a little difficult because a lot of companies want long term," Lane said.
To combat the struggle, Starbucks has made a goal to hire 25,000 veterans and military family members by 2025. They have reached their goal six years ahead of schedule and are now dedicated to hiring 5,000 each year moving forward.
Starbucks is also dedicating some stores as Military Family Stores. The Harker Heights location was named the 57th military store in the nation with 61 stores in total.
A veteran herself, Jazmine Oden is happy to be managing the newly dedicated store.
"That there is somewhere for military whether they're in right now or they have served that they can come here and have a place to talk and be comfortable that was really important to me," Oden said.
Oden followed the steps to find a stable career after her service.
"Getting out of the military and finding a job it was very scary. At first I planned ahead of time though, they have classes to go through to help you with workshops and resumes," Oden said.
That fear turned into comfort knowing the ones she's working alongside her can relate to what she's experienced.
"When I got hired knowing that the person that was going to be working with me and training me was a spouse herself I think she understood where I was at in life," Oden said.
For more information on the Starbucks Military Family Stores, visit their website.
