LAS VEGAS – As the relentless Azerbaijani attacks on Artsakh and Armenia have created what many term an existential crisis, many Armenians in the diaspora are contributing what they can both financially and in terms of goods and services to support their homeland. Arsenal Apparel, an Armenian-owned firm in Las Vegas, has donated 3,000 pieces of various types of warm clothing directly to citizens in the Republic of Armenia to meet their emergency needs. It has given an additional 1,700 items of clothing to civilians who fled Artsakh, leaving all their belongings, to seek shelter in Armenia. While those items were present already in Armenia, on October 6, it sent 1,300 pieces of clothing from its reserves in the United States to the Armenia Fund, making for a total donation so far of 6,000 pieces of clothing.
Its founder Vartan Barsoumian has also donated money to Armenia Fund and the firm’s marketing director Sevag Sagherian promises, “We will be going further to make sure we do more than our share as a corporation in these humanitarian efforts.”
Arsenal employs Armenians in Armenia, where the articles of clothing it donated previously had been manufactured, and thereby also provides employment opportunities there.
In order to encourage others to help during this crisis, the firm promises that 100 percent of all proceeds from any purchases made on its website, www.Arsenal-apparel.com will be donated to Armenia Fund on behalf of the purchaser. Furthermore, if you so choose, you can also have your purchase delivered directly to the Armenia Fund, so that you will be doubling the value of your donation (i.e. both the item of apparel plus the money you give will go to Armenia Fund).
Arsenal’s leadership stresses that corporations need to step up in these dire times for Armenia and do their share to help. Sagherian exclaimed, “Armenia needs ALL Armenians and non-Armenians with a heart to immediately contribute in whatever manner they can.” Meanwhile, Arsenal will continue to donate all proceeds from its online apparel sales, as noted above, to the Armenia Fund, and will begin manufacturing in Armenia again, as always employing Armenians, to replenish its depleted inventory.
