Authors: Miranda Burbridge, Paul Costa, Tara Scuderi, Pride@ Co-Chairs
Pride Month honors the ability of every person to be their authentic selves. We celebrate the progress that has been made for LGBTQIA+ people, while acknowledging the work that still needs to be done. DoorDash is working to empower the LGBTQIA+ community this month and throughout the year by supporting nonprofits serving LGBTQIA+ people, amplifying LGBTQIA+ voices, and highlighting LGBTQIA+ employee, Dasher, merchant, and community stories.
Our national campaign Every Flavor Welcome invites our community to make room at the table for individuals who don’t have a seat. This year, we’re even creating our own Every Flavor Welcome…Flavor available via DashMart later this month. For every Every Flavor Welcome seasoning sold, we will donate a $25 DoorDash gift card to The Okra Project, up to $25,000, through the Community Credits program. The gift cards will support The Okra Project’s mission to provide free, delicious, and nutritious meals to Black Trans people experiencing food insecurity.
“The Okra Project’s philosophy is very simple: where there is a need, meet it, and do it in style. As the world becomes more aware of the daily systemic and interpersonal struggles that Black Trans people face every day, The Okra Project’s focus on holistic nourishment has never wavered. We remain committed to our community and steady in the fight to ensure that every Black Trans person who comes to the table may eat with abundance. Providing meals is a great start to removing some of the barriers that contribute to multilevel discrimination preventing Black Trans people from accessing adequate food. Partnering with DoorDash is helping us deliver on our promise to nurture and support Black Trans people experiencing food insecurity and more. This is the flavor we savor.” — Ianne Fields Stewart, Founder, The Okra Project
In addition to our Every Flavor Welcome… Flavor seasonings, for every Caviar pickup order during the entire month of June, Caviar will donate up to $25,000 to the Ali Forney Center. The Ali Forney Center is the largest and most comprehensive program in the U.S. dedicated to meeting the needs of homeless LGBTQIA+ youth, and works to empower LGBTQIA+ youth with the tools needed to live independently.
In Canada, we are producing a second round of our Courageous Conversations card decks rooted in core Pride themes: Individuality, Empowerment, Community and Acceptance. Additionally, $1 from any order made on Pride Sunday’s across the country will be donated to Queer safe spaces in Toronto at the 519, Vancouver Saige Community Centre & Montreal West Island LGBTQ2+ Centre. We truly believe that conversations open minds and create change.
“You can’t make room at the table if you don’t know who is missing a seat.” — Paul Costa, Pride@ Co-Chair
The DoorDash employee community is celebrating Pride Month in many colorful ways, too. Our Pride@ Employee Resource Group (ERG) will host a panel featuring LGBTQIA+ DoorDash merchants to share how they have navigated the cis, straight, white male-dominated industry and succeeded in the face of these challenges. We are also excited to discuss the topic of being “out” in sports with sports icons and basketball stars Jason Collins and Natasha Cloud, and screen the docu-short, Manning Up, which spotlights comedian James Lorien McDonald’s journey as he transitions from female to male. Throughout June, DoorDash is matching employee donations to our Pride Community Support Fund benefitting The Trevor Project, the San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Community Center, and The Okra Project.
During Pride, we’re reminded that “making room at the table” is a year-round commitment. We’re proud to count LGBTQIA+ people as our friends, colleagues, and family members.
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For each Every Flavor Welcome seasoning purchased from select DashMart while supplies last, DoorDash will donate a $25 gift card to The Okra Project. For every Caviar pickup order between 6/1/21 and 6/30/21, Caviar will donate $1, up to $25,000, to the Ali Forney Center.
DoorDash Celebrates Pride 2021 was originally published in DoorDash on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.