Donor Profile: Paul Colfer & Jon Gatto, and Veronica & Gerald Colfer

Paul Colfer and Jon Gatto at Glacier National Park

Paul Colfer and his partner Jon Gatto have been supporters of Shanti for decades. Paul grew up in DC, and came out to his parents in 1977, in the midst of the Anita Bryant anti-gay campaign. He recalls that his parents, Gerald and Veronica Colfer, were strong Catholics who at first had trouble accepting the fact that their son was gay. Shortly thereafter, Paul followed his long time dream of moving to California and came to San Francisco. While Paul’s parents had a difficult time with his coming out at first, he witnessed them go through "a journey of acceptance," eventually becoming tireless advocates for LGBT rights in the U.S. and throughout the world. They were very active with Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) and Dignity USA, an organization that works for respect and justice for people of all sexual orientations, genders, and gender identities in the Catholic Church.

Tom Altieri on Sentinel Dome, Yosemite

Paul’s first contact with Shanti came in the 1980s. His partner at the time, Tom Altieri, was a Shanti volunteer in the early 80s and was matched with a client with HIV/AIDS. Tom would help his client with transportation, laundry, errands, whatever he needed. Several years later Tom received an AIDS diagnosis himself and he became a client. Tom was matched with a volunteer who provided practical support for the 2 1/2 years that Tom was fighting the disease. Tom lost his fight to AIDS in 1988. About 6 months later, Paul started going to a Shanti bereavement group, which helped him through the grieving process of losing his partner. Paul recalls that his parents showed a lot of love and affection for Tom, and were very supportive throughout Tom’s illness.

Veronica and Gerald Colfer

 Gerald and Veronica Colfer learned of Shanti through Paul, and when they were planning their estate, decided to include Shanti in their trust. Of this gift, Paul said, "I saw a wonderful change happen in my parents and see their gift to Shanti as a beautiful example of their strong support for the community." Gerald Colfer passed away in 2002 at the age of 90, and Veronica at age 100 in 2012. Shanti is touched by the generosity of these two compassionate individuals and is honored that they chose to include Shanti as part of their legacy. We are also enormously grateful for the unwavering support of Paul and Jon, which has helped us to continue to provide emotional and practical support to our most vulnerable neighbors for nearly 40 years.


Paul lives in San Francisco with his partner Jon and works as a Senior Consultant at Kaiser Permanente. Jon is an artist and retired art framer. Paul loves to hike, and Jon and Paul both enjoy travel, theater, and getting together with friends.