Karen Organization of Minnesota

The Karen Organization of Minnesota is the first social services agency in the country founded by Karen refugees from Burma. We offer a variety of programs to help refugees transition to life in a new country and achieve their goals. We also provide resources to help organizations learn how to work with this growing community.

Our Mission

The mission of the Karen Organization of Minnesota is to build on the strengths of refugee and immigrant communities and remove barriers to achieving economic, social, and cultural wellbeing.

Our Community

More than 20,000 Karen people live in Minnesota, making it the largest Karen community in the country. Minnesota is also home to more than 2,000 refugees from other ethnic groups in Burma, including Karenni and Mon. Refugees from Burma come to Minnesota for the same reasons many people do: to find good jobs, access high-quality education, and connect with a strong community. Learn more about Karen people and other ethnic groups from Burma.

While most of our clients are from Burma, we also serve clients from areas including Afghanistan, Ukraine, Southeast Asia, East Africa, and Latin America who now live in the Twin Cities.

Our Impact

KOM is a leading service provider helping over 3,000 refugees each year achieve their goals. Our success is due to:

• Programs designed by and for the community: KOM is founded and led by refugees from Burma who understand the needs and goals of the community we serve.
• Providing wraparound support: Our staff take time to understand each person’s situation and make sure they can access all of the resources they need.
• Strong partnerships: KOM values working with partners to help refugees access more opportunities and to help other service providers learn how to work with this growing community.