Karen Organization of Minnesota

The Karen Organization of Minnesota is the first social services agency in the country founded by Karen refugees from Burma. Most of our staff and board members are from the communities we serve, giving us a unique ability to provide culturally responsive services and keep pace with the community’s changing needs.

The Karen Organization of Minnesota was founded in 2008 by refugees from Burma. As the first Karen-led social service agency in the U.S., KOM is often consulted by Minnesota and statewide agencies to learn about how to best serve refugees from Burma. In 2023, KOM updated our mission statement to better reflect the expanded services and communities served:

To build on the strengths of refugee and immigrant communities and remove barriers to achieving economic, social, and cultural wellbeing.

KOM offers employment services, social services, community health, and youth development programs to over 2,000 refugees and immigrants each year. 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.