I know a lot of people who like to complain about Starbucks (or any big company) taking over the world, but I also know a lot of people who drink Starbucks coffee!

A couple of days ago our friend paused to read "The Way I See It" quoted on her cup, and was pleasantly surprised to see they were quoting Bob Wright (former CEO of NBC) promoting autism awareness and early intervention.

The Way I See It #264: Every 20 mintues – less time than it will take you to drink your coffee – another child is diagnosed with autism. It's much more common than people think, with one out of every 150 children diagnosed. Learn the early warning signs of autism, and if you're concerned about your child's development, talk to your doctor. Early intervention could make a big difference in your child's future.

We talk about awareness a lot, and as much as we like to think that every individual counts – some people count more than others. People with high profile lives or influential positions have the ability to generate more awareness than the average person or family. Bob Wright probably didn't know much about autism before his grandchild was diagnosed (just my guess), but shortly thereafter we saw Autism Awareness Week on NBC! Then he founded Autism Speaks (www.autismspeaks.org), which has become one of the major players in the autism world and funds millions of dollars worth of research and other charities.

It's nice to see support where you didn't expect it, so Kudos to Starbucks. Could they do more? Of course – we all could. But they're doing something, and not every company out there can say that.

Ad: Here are some other great Coffee ideas.