Comfort & Joy has been committed to addressing food insecurity for the last 15 years. This commitment began with our Burning Man Paiute Food Drive through Burners Give Back, which collects excess food items throughout Black Rock City and delivers these supplies into the local Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal Community. Six years ago the food drive evolved and expanded to include our annual Paiute Tribe Fundraiser, which to date has raised over $35000 for the tribal food bank in Nixon, NV. The ancient and beautiful Paiute belief tradition of honoring “Two Spirits”, people who are different or non-binary, is how our commitment to the tribal community was first realized and is still a driving force behind our efforts to this day. This tradition reflects our own values and mission to celebrate queer people and expression and part of this expression has always included the preparation and sharing of food as a community. It’s these expressed values and our history that compelled us to create Amber’s Community Pantry.

Amber’s Community Pantry was created in direct response to the Covid-19 health and economic crisis and with the recognition that these parallel crises are having a disproportionately negative impact on our community and on marginalized communities in general. As a community organization, Comfort & Joy embraces the responsibility entrusted in us and we intend to express this by providing all the help and support we can to those in need. The support of our donors allows us to provide food and household items to LGBTQIA people in need throughout California and across the country. We currently have two pantry locations, San Francisco & Oakland, from where we distribute non-perishable food items and household cleaning supplies. Additionally, we provide and facilitate direct deliveries of fresh grocery items to those who need additional support and to community members who live beyond the San Francisco Bay Area.

Food is not only essential to survival, it is a fundamental aspect from which people derive both comfort and joy. We believe that no person should be deprived of anything that is as fundamental as food, particularly in a nation as wealthy and abundant as this one. Meeting the challenge of food insecurity in this society is a moral imperative for us, and we intend to meet this challenge head on. The mission of Amber’s Community Pantry was to help and serve our community for as long as it takes--Your support and donations will help ensure that we succeed.

GayLove Team

• Biscuits
• Kahlil
• Goldmouse
• Amber's Trust Fund Committee