Choosing Our Roots

Hello community!

Choosing Our Roots is super excited to lift up a unique community
event coming up this August!

The Q***r Alaska Fellowship of AA will be hosting the first ever, Q***r AF Recovery
Retreat! The retreat will be at Camp K on Kenai Lake, August 21st, 22nd and 23rd. This
retreat welcomes 18+ folks of all genders and identities who self describes as “in
recovery” from a drug or alcohol. While this is a q***r retreat that aims to help
LGBTQIA2S+ folks celebrate our q***rness and support one another in our recovery
journeys, no one will be turned away, allies are welcome. There will be speakers from a
number of 12 step recovery programs and lots of fun activities! There will be crafts,
outdoor activities, a sauna and lake time with our very own lifeguard!
This event is being hosted Q***r Ideas of Fun, the only LGBTQIA2S+ AA meeting in
Anchorage. While this event is oriented around the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous,
we are a group of q***r people that welcome all programs of recovery. Attendees do
not need to regularly attend 12 step groups to enjoy the retreat. We hope to foster an
experience in which attendees have the opportunity to connect with q***r people and
allies in recovery for the goal of mutual aid. This retreat will be charging $150 in tuition,
but some need based scholarships are available. We want all those who are interested
in attending to have the opportunity to participate, wherever possible.

🌈 Happy Pride Month from Choosing Our Roots! 🌈

This Pride, we’re feeling especially grateful and honored to serve such an incredible, resilient, and vibrant community. Every day, we witness the strength, courage, and joy of LGBTQIA2S+ youth across Alaska, and it’s a privilege to walk alongside them as they build safe, stable futures.

Pride is a celebration, but it’s also a reminder of the power of community. During times that can feel uncertain or challenging, showing up for one another matters more than ever.
Whether through a kind word, a shared resource, a volunteer shift, or a donation, every act of support helps create a world where q***r youth know they belong and are valued.

At Choosing Our Roots, we believe everyone deserves safe homes, supportive communities, and opportunities to thrive. That work is only possible because of people like you who continue to invest in our youth and our mission.

💚 Looking for ways to support q***r youth this Pride Month? Join us in building the kind of community every young person deserves. Whether you make a donation, volunteer your time, attend an event, or help spread the word about our mission, your support makes a difference. There is a place for everyone in this work, and every contribution, large or small, helps create safer, more affirming futures for LGBTQIA2S+ youth.

Visit our website or check out the Linktree in our bio to learn more about how you can support LGBTQIA2S+ youth across Alaska.

***rYouth ***rYouth 🌈✨

🌈👟 Lace up for the 12th Annual Rainbow Run 5K! 👟🌈

Choosing Our Roots is proud to be a beneficiary of this year’s Rainbow Run alongside Four A’s. Every dollar raised helps support our operating costs so we can continue safely housing and supporting LGBTQIA2S+ youth experiencing homelessness in Anchorage and the Mat-Su. 💛🏳️‍🌈

Whether you run, walk, volunteer, or cheer from the sidelines, your support makes a direct impact on q***r youth in our community.

✨ Family friendly
✨ Costumes encouraged
✨ Virtual race option available
✨ Community, joy, and celebration for all!

📅 Tuesday, June 23 at 6 PM

We’d love to see our community show up strong this year:
💥 Sign up for the run today
💥 OR help us make the event happen by filling out the volunteer interest form on our Linktree in bio!

Together, we can create safer, affirming spaces for q***r youth across Alaska. 🏳️‍⚧️💖 ***rYouth

🧶✨ Craft in Community ✨🧶

Join Choosing Our Roots in the Mat-Su Valley for an afternoon of creativity, connection, and community care! Bring your current WIP (work in progress) or start something new alongside other crafty folks in a welcoming space for q***r youth and allies. 💛

📅 May 30
🕛 12:00–1:30 PM
📍 Scan the QR code on the flyer for the address or use this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdCVGP0Y6xsm2WMWl2gcJFhEDNvzRR84kKdSnRHEFwb5vFPhg/viewform?usp=dialog

Whether you knit, crochet, embroider, draw, or just want to hang out and make something with your hands, we’d love to see you there. 🌿

***rYouth

Today we celebrate Trans Day of Visibility 💙🤍🩷

At Choosing Our Roots, we are proud to serve and stand alongside trans and nonbinary youth in our community. Your identities are valid, your stories matter, and you deserve to be seen, supported, and safe.

Our office is closed today as we honor this important day, we will resume work first thing tomorrow morning.

NEW MERCH!! 🏳️‍🌈

Every purchase helps support safe, affirming housing for q***r youth. From totes to hoodies to tees — and there’s even more waiting for you in our Bonfire store!

Grab yours, rep the roots, and help us keep our community housed.
Link in bio to shop!

***rJoy ***rYouth ***rCommunity ***ryouth

🌈 It’s time to join our community of sustaining donors! 🌈

Choosing Our Roots provides housing support, case management, and affirming community for LGBTQIA2S+ young people across Alaska — but we can’t do it without your ongoing support.

Becoming a sustaining donor means giving monthly or quarterly, helping us build long-term stability and plan ahead with confidence. Your donation directly supports youth facing housing insecurity — from covering Host Family stipends to funding life skills development.

💌 As a thank you, we send out a personalized note each year, often with a sticker or small swag item! But the real gift? Knowing you’re part of a growing network committed to safety, dignity, and belonging for q***r youth.

✨ Give what you can. Give what you feel. Just give regularly.

To become a sustaining donor, go to: https://choosingourroots.networkforgood.com/projects/196243-supporting-lgbtqia-youth

Can’t give right now? Sharing our mission is just as powerful. Spread the word and help us reach those who can.

***rCommunityCare ***ryouth

We’re so excited to welcome Roseann to the Choosing Our Roots team as our new Host Home Liaison! 💚

Through our Host Home Program, caring community members open their homes to LGBTQ+ youth experiencing housing instability—creating safety, stability, and belonging when it’s needed most. Roseann’s role helps support hosts, connect youth to affirming homes, and strengthen the circle of care that makes this work possible.

We are currently looking for compassionate adults in the Mat-Su community who may be interested in becoming host home providers. If you’ve ever wondered how you could make a direct difference in a young person’s life, this could be a meaningful place to start.

Scan the QR code or go to our website to learn more and begin the conversation today.

***rYouth

🌈 It’s time to join our community of sustaining donors! 🌈

Choosing Our Roots provides housing support, case management, and affirming community for LGBTQIA2S+ young people across Alaska — but we can’t do it without your ongoing support.

Becoming a sustaining donor means giving monthly or quarterly, helping us build long-term stability and plan ahead with confidence. Your donation directly supports youth facing housing insecurity — from covering Host Family stipends to funding life skills development.

💌 As a thank you, we send out a personalized note each year, often with a sticker or small swag item! But the real gift? Knowing you’re part of a growing network committed to safety, dignity, and belonging for q***r youth.

✨ Give what you can. Give what you feel. Just give regularly.

To become a sustaining donor, go to: https://choosingourroots.networkforgood.com/projects/196243-supporting-lgbtqia-youth

Can’t give right now? Sharing our mission is just as powerful. Spread the word and help us reach those who can.

***rCommunityCare ***ryouth

Did you know there is official Choosing Our Roots merch? 🏳️‍🌈

Every purchase helps support safe, affirming housing for q***r youth. From totes to hoodies to tees — and there’s even more waiting for you in our Bonfire store!

Grab yours, rep the roots, and help us keep our community housed.
Link in bio or scan the qr code to shop!

***rJoy ***rYouth ***rCommunity ***ryouth