Gap Inc.
February 26, 2021
Answering the Call From the White House to Help End the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic is the biggest crisis we have faced as a company and one that we have been grappling with on deeply personal levels—as each of us with our families, friends and communities have been by impacted by the virus. We know our business is much bigger than the 120,000 people who run it day in and day out. Our customers, partners, suppliers, and the people who make our clothes make it all possible. For them and all of us, we have been doing everything we can to protect each other and minimize the spread of coronavirus. As a company, we are committed to helping build back by supporting an equitable and inclusive economic recovery, one that protects lives and livelihoods, allows businesses and schools to safely reopen, gets people back to work, and revitalizes communities. One of the easiest and most effective steps we all can take to protect each other and stop the spread of the virus is to wear a mask or face covering. That’s why today we are announcing that our brands are donating 3.5 million masks and face coverings to join the White House’s call to action today and pledge our support to do our part to end COVID-19.
With the help of our trusted non-profit partners, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Good360 and others, Gap Inc.’s portfolio of purpose-led lifestyle brands are sending 3.5 million masks and face coverings to non-profit community organizations serving those with the greatest needs across the U.S.
Last month, Old Navy donated 1 million masks to Boys & Girls Clubs of America, one of the brand’s longtime nonprofit partners, to support local Clubs as they continue to provide safe spaces for kids and teens. Old Navy is committed to serving American families in need and will now provide an additional 1 million masks to Baby2Baby, local This Way ONward partners, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America to further reach underserved communities. Through The Imagine Mission, Old Navy is working to create a better future for future generations.
“We are so grateful to have Old Navy as a dedicated partner, continually providing our kids and staff with the supplies they need to be safe and successful,” said Jim Clark, president and CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “This mask donation comes at a much-needed time as Boys & Girls Clubs across the nation critically need continuous replenishment of PPE equipment to remain open to serve kids, families and communities. Thank you, Old Navy, for your ongoing support, helping Clubs in local communities build a brighter tomorrow for millions of kids.”
Because Covid-19 has disproportionately impacted women and communities of color, Gap, Banana Republic and Athleta will partner with Good360, a global leader in product philanthropy and purposeful giving, to distribute 1.5 million masks to an assortment of nonprofits that champion a range of causes and communities. Good360, which supported Old Navy’s donation of $30 million of clothing last year, has a diverse network of more than 90,000 vetted nonprofit partners, and the ability to pinpoint where masks are needed most.
From teachers to patients, to young people and those wanting to re-enter the workforce, Gap, Banana Republic, and Athleta masks will go to a range of nonprofits in Good360’s network, including the United Breast Cancer Foundation, where masks will support the health of immunosuppressed girls and women and their families; Save the Children, which is championing the rights of children globally; and to teachers and students at Arkansas Early Learning, which provides a transformational learning program for children, families and communities within the state.
“We are proud of our long-standing partnership with Gap Inc. to support communities in need,” said Matt Connelly, CEO of Good360. “Through the strength and size of our nonprofit network, Good360 is not only able to distribute masks where they are needed most, but also ensure alignment with the causes supported by the portfolio of Gap Inc. brands. We have distributed more than $300 million in personal and household goods for COVID relief alone since the pandemic began a year ago, but many of our communities remain underserved when it comes to PPE items like masks. This donation will make a meaningful impact.”
And closer to home, Banana Republic is directing 10,000 masks to San Francisco’s Unified School District to help teachers and administrators return to classrooms.
For us, the health and safety of our employees, customers, and communities remains our top priority. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have implemented best-in-class protocols to help keep employees and customers safe – throughout our customer experience centers (fulfillment and distribution sites), stores and offices globally—which we maintain today. Thanks to our long-established supply chain relationships and agile operations, early on in the pandemic crisis, we were able to quickly pivot factory capacity to source millions of masks and other personal protective equipment for the healthcare community, employees and customers.
We are proud of our health and safety efforts we’ve implemented to date and, at the same time, we recognize there is still a long journey ahead with new challenges to navigate together, specifically as it relates to the COVID-19 vaccine for our employees. Due to both the criticality and complexity of the issue, we have formed a COVID-19 Vaccination Task Force to establish and roll-out our company’s approach, rooted in advocacy, information, and education. We are looking at different ways to provide support to our employees in obtaining the vaccine when eligible to receive it, including:
- On-site vaccination clinics for our Distribution Centers, once supplies are more readily available, with hourly fulfillment employees permitted to receive the vaccine while on the clock
- Up to two (2) hours of PTO to each hourly part-time Store employee in the U.S. for each dose of the vaccine—or as otherwise required by the law of the jurisdiction, whichever is greater.
We also know the effects of this pandemic are far-reaching and will pose challenges that we will face for years to come. We’re finding ways to give back now while also recognizing it will take a broader, collective focus to bring change at the scale required to address the immense hardships. Last month, Gap Foundation was one of four founding funders to partner with the United Nations Foundation to launch the Resilience Fund for Women in Global Value Chains—a collaborative of corporate foundations and NGO partners that will enable new, locally-driven approaches to meaningful and systemic change over the long term.
As people and communities around the world make moves to safely reemerge and get access to Covid-19 vaccines, one thing is certain: wearing face coverings will remain an important step in ending this coronavirus pandemic. We are proud to be part of the effort to end COVID-19.
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