Let's get to know each other.
We are Chosen Family of Michigan.
We provide advocacy and support services to the LGBTQ+ community throughout Michigan, with personnel in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo.
Founded in 2022 by Rickie Kreuzer (he/him/his) and Cristina Suárez-Ross (she/her/ella), Chosen Family is excited to get to work serving our community!
Executive Directors Kreuzer and Suárez-Ross were both previously Directors at a Kalamazoo-based LGBTQ+ nonprofit. Passionate about the work and creating a workplace that fosters growth, they partnered together to start their own organization, and thus Chosen Family was born.
Director Kreuzer is degreed in Business Administration and worked in management for a Fortune 500 company before transitioning into advocacy work. He worked for several progressive political organizations, primarily working to "get out the vote" and advocate for LGBTQ+ causes. He identifies as gay, and grew up in Jenison, Michigan. He currently lives in Downtown Grand Rapids with his cat, Ember, and puppy, Snickerdoodle.
Director Suárez-Ross is Argentine American and has spent most of her life in the Kalamazoo area. She is degreed in Human Services with a focus in Youth Services and has spent most of her career working with children and providing support services, helping people get back on their feet and to grow as individuals. She is a mother to her child, Elijah, and lives with her cat and two dogs.
The LGBTQ+ community faces unique challenges, often with a lack of family acceptance and support. For generations, the LGBTQ+ community often finds their own family through friends, queer services, accepting teachers, and more. Director Kreuzer and Director Suárez-Ross have both found love and acceptance this way, and thus the name "Chosen Family of Michigan" was selected to show exactly who we are- an organization dedicated to creating a more inclusive Michigan. We hope you can find a sense of community with us.
We'd love to connect. Follow us on social media (links at bottom of webpage), use the "Get In Touch" page to email us, or Subscribe to our monthly newsletter (form is at the bottom of webpage). We look forward to getting to know you.
We are here for you. We are advocating for you. We are ready to get to work.
In Solidarity & Servitude,
Chosen Family of Michigan