New York City  ·  Est. 2026

Your
chosen family
is here.

Next of Kin builds real community for people navigating life without a family support system behind them. Not a support group. Not a program. People who actually show up.

Express interest Our story
Currently welcoming founding members ages 20–29 in NYC
Next of Kin
Your chosen family
NYC
Launching spring 2026
Free
Always free to join
20–29
Founding circle ages
Real
People who show up
"In a world where you can be anything — be someone's family."

Why we exist

Some people have a family in their corner.
Not everyone does. That changes everything.

There's a version of adulthood that comes with backup. Someone who co-signs your lease, shows up when you're sick, sits in the audience at graduation, and answers the phone at 2am when something goes wrong. Most people take that for granted because they've always had it.

For a lot of people, that version of adulthood isn't the one they got. Not because of anything they did wrong — but because family is complicated, and sometimes the people who were supposed to show up didn't, or couldn't, or shouldn't.

The gap that creates isn't just emotional. It's practical. It shows up in the FAFSA you can't file alone, the apartment you can't rent without a co-signer, the medical form with an empty emergency contact line. It compounds quietly over time.

Next of Kin was built for the people in that gap. Not to replace what they lost or never had — but to build something new alongside them. A chosen family. A real one. The need for that doesn't go away at any age.

"The difference between a person who has family in their corner and one who doesn't isn't talent or ambition. It's infrastructure. We build that infrastructure — out of people who choose each other."

27%
of U.S. adults are estranged from at least one parent
70K
young people age out of foster care each year with no safety net
44%
of LGBTQ+ youth experience family rejection

Who we serve

You don't need a label.
You just need people.

Next of Kin is for anyone navigating life without a family support system. The need for chosen family has no age limit — but our founding NYC circle is currently welcoming members who are between 20 and 29, based in New York City, and currently in college or working.

Estranged young adults
You've limited or ended contact with family for your own safety, wellbeing, or peace of mind. You're doing life on your own terms — and you deserve people who show up for that.
Former foster youth
You aged out of care at 18 and the support ended when the system did. You've been figuring it out alone ever since. You shouldn't have to.
LGBTQ+ family-rejected
Your family didn't accept who you are. That's their failure, not yours. Next of Kin is a space where you are fully welcome exactly as you are.
Anyone doing it without a net
You don't need a specific story to belong here. If you're building your life without people in your corner and you're looking for that — you're in the right place.

What to expect

Four meetings. One commitment.
Something real.

We ask every founding member to commit to the first four gatherings. Not as a rule — but because real community takes time, and four meetings is what it takes to go from strangers to people who actually know each other. Give us four, and then decide how you feel.

1
The cooking class
April 29 or 30
We cook a meal together and eat it together. Your hands are busy, the conversation flows naturally, nobody has to perform. The best possible first meeting — warm, low pressure, and it ends with everyone full and a little more familiar.
2
Volunteer together
May 6 or 7
We give a few hours to a local organization and debrief over food after. Working side by side creates a kind of familiarity that conversation alone doesn't. Shared purpose deepens what the cooking class started.
3
Study group & life admin
May 13 or 14
Right in the heart of finals week — intentionally. Bring your coursework, your FAFSA, your resume, or the form you've been putting off. We work alongside each other and help with real things. This is where it starts feeling like what it actually is.
4
The celebration dinner
May 28 or 29
Finals are done. We sit down for a real meal and go around the table sharing wins — any size, no win too small. Every person is witnessed. Nobody moves on until they feel it. Then this circle becomes yours.

Our one ask: Come to all four. The first four meetings are where community either takes root or doesn't. Give it those four sessions before you decide if it's for you. After that, this circle belongs to you as much as anyone.

Ready to join

This is the beginning of a real conversation.

Fill out the form and we'll follow up personally within a few days to schedule a short call. Not an interview — a welcome. We just want to meet you before you meet everyone else.

  • 1
    We review your form — we read every one personally, usually within a few days.
  • 2
    We reach out to schedule a call — 15 minutes, phone or video. Warm, no pressure, just a conversation to meet you.
  • 3
    You're placed in a founding circle — 8 to 10 people, meeting weekly starting late April 2026.
  • 4
    You show up — and so does everyone else. That's the whole thing.

Questions before applying? Email us at hello@joinnextofkin.org

Tell us about yourself

All fields marked * are required. Everything you share stays between you and us.

The basics
Your story
The commitment

We read every submission personally and follow up within a few days.
This is the start of something real — and we're glad you're here.

We got it.

Thank you for reaching out — someone from Next of Kin will be in touch personally within a few days to set up a short call. Until then, welcome. You found the right place.