Avail Vapor has donated more than 5,000 masks to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management to help medical professionals on the front lines of the coronavirus battle protect themselves.
The idea came to light a few months ago when Avail employees heard about the shortage of masks in China when Covid-19 initially struck. Avail works closely with many Chinese suppliers, and Avail employees wanted to support these suppliers in their time of need.
Employees from around the U.S. gathered masks to donate; as a result, Avail shipped thousands of masks to its overseas partners. Now that the United States is experiencing a shortage in masks, those same Chinese colleagues have returned the generosity and shipped thousands of masks to Avail headquarters for employees and health care workers.
“To be successful, our business has always been highly collaborative with global partners,” said James Xu, CEO and chairman of Avail, and a Chinese American. “To see our employees proactively answer a need for their Chinese counterparts was special. Now we are so grateful to our Chinese friends for helping us defend our citizens in this pandemic.”
In addition, Avail has implemented new programs to help its customers during this unprecedented time. Since March 18, 2020, Avail customers who are burdened with a financial impact from Covid-19, as well as those in the medical community or who are first responders, have been eligible for a one-time purchase of select e-liquids for a penny ($0.01 transactional fee plus applicable taxes). Avail is also offering call-ahead and curbside pickup at all retail locations, as the health, safety and well-being of its staff and customers is paramount.
Avail employs more than 350 people across the U.S. The company has committed to compensate staff for work time lost due to Covid-19 or influenza. In addition, if employees need further financial assistance, they can apply through the Xu Fund, a special employee assistance fund dedicated to supporting Avail staff in the event of personal and family hardships. CEO and Chairman Xu donates 100 percent of his salary to support the fund. Since 2018, the Xu Fund has helped 90 Avail employees.