VF Corporation
VF Corporation Helps Overcome COVID-19
VF Corporation, one of the world’s largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies, has taken multiple actions worldwide in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. From supplying donations for COVID-19 relief efforts to ensuring the safety of healthcare workers and their own stakeholders, VF Corporation has been successfully navigating the challenges brought on by the pandemic.
VF Donations & COVID-19 Relief Efforts
VF Corporation, the VF Foundation and the VF family of brands donated more than $10.3 million in funds, products and services worldwide to assist with urgent medical needs and offer help to those struggling in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over $7 million has been contributed in cash donations through a number of purpose-led initiatives such as the Vans’ “Foot The Bill” small business support, the VF Foundation COVID-19 Relief Efforts, The North Face® Explore Fund , Eagle Creek Adventure Travel Conservation Fund, Altra du Souffle and Banco Alimentare , and to the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) in support of small outdoor businesses. To read more about the donation towards Outdoor Industry Association, visit this article.
VF Corporation has also contributed over $3.2 million in product donations to frontline workers of the Coronavirus pandemic. These donations include over 150,000 products such as The North Face®, Vans®, and Timberland® products.
Aside from assisting the frontline heroes of the Coronavirus pandemic, VF Corporation has the production capacity to produce up to 3.4 million Dickies® isolation gowns, while other PPE donations include 250,000 Vans® canvas face masks, 15,000 surgical masks and 1,600 face masks. To learn more about VF’s COVID-19 relief efforts, click here.
In addition to PPE, the company has also provided factory and worker support by contributing $200,000 to Bangladesh, India, the Philippines, and Cambodia for COVID-19 relief efforts. These countries, being some of the most vulnerable in VF’s supply chain, are seeing widespread layoffs with little system of national support.
On top of unprecedented job losses and a sharp increase in confirmed cases of coronavirus, many people who live in Bangladesh already struggle with situations of poverty and limited health-care resources. The VF Foundation donation of $100,000 to garment workers in Bangladesh is providing a safety net for thousands of families affected by factory shutdowns precipitated by the global COVID-19 pandemic. The VF Foundation worked with its disaster grantmaking partner GlobalGiving and BRAC to ensure the donation was directed to families who needed it the most. As a result, more than 5,500 households received a cash stipend to buy food and other necessities for two weeks. To read more about VF’s support of Bangladesh, click here.
VF Corporation’s support doesn’t stop there. The corporation has also ensured enterprise and associate support by reducing CEO salary in half, reducing VF’s Executive Leadership Team salaries by 25% and increasing salary support for North American retail associates by 100%. They have also increased pay and benefits for U.S and Canada distribution center associates.
Support for Garment Workers
Not only has VF Corporation implemented safety protocol in their production facilities to protect their associates, but they have also joined the International Labor Organization, International Organization of Employers, International Trade Union Conference, and others in supporting the rights of garment workers throughout COVID-19.
As outlined in the Call to Action, VF:
1. Calls on governments and financial institutions to accelerate access to credit, unemployment benefits and income-support, no or low-interest short-term loans, tax abatement, duty deferral, fiscal stimulus, and other forms of support.
2. Recognizes the support that is needed to enhance social protection schemes and supports action to preserve jobs through different means, tax packages or social security charges and temporary unemployment programs. VF Corporation strongly supports access to these funds so that suppliers can preserve their activities. This is vital to prioritizing jobs and incomes of workers immediately and throughout the extended period of the crisis.
3. Requires such funds shall be used to enable manufacturers to ensure business continuity including payment of wages for all workers regardless of employment contract, in accordance with national laws, collective agreements, and any prevailing income-support and job-retention schemes to deal with the crisis.
4. Promotes respect for the ILO core labor standards, as well as safe and healthy workplaces
5. Supports the development of social protection floors and to extending social protection for workers and employers in the garment industry, consistent with ILO recommendation 202, with a view to establishing over time the responsibilities of all parties to contribute for sustainable systems.
For more information on their commitment to support garment workers, please click here.
Support for Healthcare Workers
As the Coronavirus pandemic circulates worldwide and hits more communities, a record number of healthcare workers are experiencing distress, anxiety and depression. In order to combat these mental health struggles, the VF Foundation launched a $50,000 challenge match to send healthcare heroes on outdoor adventures.
The donation is to support “HERO RECHARGE”, an outdoor adventure program designed specifically for healthcare workers and first responders on the front lines of the pandemic. Since the program first launched in late April, it has received more than 10,000 inquiries from healthcare workers and first responders nationwide.
Healthcare workers that are on the frontlines of the pandemic will get to recharge through adventurous experiences provided by this program. “HERO RECHARGE” includes exhilarating challenges ranging from multiday to single day adventures such as rock climbing, kayaking, surfing, and mountain biking.
“Our goal is to address this trauma through unforgettable outdoor adventures that will nurture supportive peer relationships and give these heroes the respite and renewal they deserve.” states Ryan O’Donoghue, Executive Director of First Descents.
To learn more about the program, click here. To see how you can help, click here.
VF Corporation is actively working to help overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure the safety of healthcare workers as well as their own associates. To learn more about the company and further COVID-19 endeavors, please click here.