Sisters find steady ground and growth at Starbucks

Alyssa and Kristen are sisters who grew up together in a small Pittsburgh-area town, just five minutes from the Starbucks where Kristen is now the coffeehouse leader. But for many years, they were on their own separate paths, until Starbucks brought them back together.

“We’re sisters,” Kristen said. “But growing up, there was a lot going on. There were years when we weren’t close.”

Finding independence and a place that feels like home

Alyssa moved out of her family home at a young age and learned independence early. “I was in survival mode for a long time,” she said. Before joining Starbucks, she worked at a local coffee shop in her town, so coffee became the first place she felt useful.

But she needed health insurance, especially because she was suffering from an autoimmune disorder and couldn’t afford the medical care she needed to treat it. She turned to Starbucks and, in addition to getting benefits, also found a place where she belonged.

I came because I needed healthcare. I stayed because the mission matched who I already was.

Alyssa, Coffeehouse Leader

She was inspired by having her talents and skills truly recognized, and by the fact that she was never judged for her past. “I am proudly a person in recovery and struggled with addiction in my younger years,” she said.

She sees the power of the journey she has made from addiction to fully supporting herself and finding her place in the world, she said. Now, as a seven-year partner (employee) and a coffeehouse leader, she draws on her experiences to inspire the people around her to grow every day.

Reaching out and sharing an opportunity

Alyssa knew her sister was struggling and she wanted her to have this opportunity to work somewhere she could find stability and grow in a positive environment. This was the exact environment she wanted for her sister, Kristen. So, she reached out.

Kristen initially resisted her sister’s recruitment efforts. “I said no for months,” she laughs. But when her partner was severely injured and she became his caregiver while navigating her own issues with depression and an addiction relapse, the seed Alyssa planted finally took root.

“I didn’t know I needed Starbucks. But I needed it,” said Kristen, who is now a six-year partner and, like her sister, is a coffeehouse leader.

Not long after she began her Starbucks journey, Kristen realized she needed to take the time and space to get some support. “Alyssa actually helped me approach my store manager and tell her, ‘Hey, I’m not doing well. I need some time.’ She helped me ask for help.”

She was afraid she’d lose her job or be replaced, but instead, “they helped me take a leave, get treatment and come back.”

Finding their way back to each other

Both sisters rebuilt their lives and as they grew from baristas to coffeehouse leaders and along the way they also rebuilt something else — their relationship.

“Us working both working at Starbucks helped us relax, put our guard down and get to know each other again,” said Kristen. “The positive environment helped us rebuild our relationship in a way we never had before.”

Alyssa agrees.

“Nothing grows in toxic soil,” she said. “Starbucks gave us ground where healing and possibility, could take root.”

Life-changing benefits

Alyssa and Kristen say that the benefits were turning points, not perks. At Starbucks, they had access to health insurance, mental health support and other benefits that are available to eligible partners who work 20 hours a week or more. They also found financial stability.

“It literally changed my life,” Alyssa said. “I own my house now. That used to feel impossible.”

“I know who I am now,” Kristen added. “I know I add value.”

When asked what advice they’d share if they were supporting another partner going through a similar situation, Kristen said “If you’re looking for a second chance, you don’t have to do it alone.”