October Member of the Month: Lao Family Community of MN, Inc.

Walking up to Lao Family Community of MN, Inc. in St. Paul, I (Rachel) could feel the energy all around me. The parking lot was full of cars, and as I entered, I was greeted with smiles by a variety of different people all involved in one activity or another. I walked upstairs towards the Youth and Family program area, and past several classrooms where adult students were actively engaged in studying the English language.

Paul Kong, who has been with this agency for six years and thoroughly enjoys serving the Hmong community, warmly welcomed me and gave me a wonderful tour of the building. As their Youth Outreach Worker, he wears many hats, but his main role is running their afterschool enrichment program.

This program has seen a huge shift in the last year, as they moved from being a drop in center, to a center focused around enrichment and academic success. Instead of allowing students to come and go as they please, now all students have to be an official part of the program and are able to earn points for their attendance; the points they earn can be redeemed for snacks and prizes at the Points Cafe.

Although they have seen a decrease in the number of students being served this year due to a stricter and more structured program, they still serve between 70 and 100 students a year, and are hoping their point system will not only encourage good attendance, but will also help Lao Family Community secure additional funding. I wish them luck in this area since all services offered by their organization are FREE!

A Typical Week at Lao Family Community

Monday

• Girls Discussion Group called Making Healthy Choices. This group focuses on relevant issues in the lives of teens and develops strategies on how to avoid and if possible prevent them.

Tuesday

• Songwriting & Music Recording classes

• Hip Hop Dance Group

• Korean Club

Wednesday

• Yugioh and Magic Card Club,

• Guys Discussion Group called Making Healthy Choices

• Korean Club

Thursday

• Open Lab

• Hip Hop Dance Group

Friday

• Accountability and Fitness Group

In addition to the services they offer onsite, Paul and another staff member Chee Lee teach a curriculum called Kev Xaiv, which in Hmong means Making Choices. This class is held weekly and biweekly in junior high schools in Saint Paul and Minneapolis. One school they are closely connected with is New Millennium Academy that serves a large population of Hmong students. In the future, they hope to open a satellite site as a way to connect with more of the 80,000+ Hmong people living in Minnesota.

Lao Family Community is one of the newest YIPA members, joining our community less than a year ago after several years of attending YIPA professional development trainings. As a member of the YIPA team, its staff is looking to collaborate more with organizations in Saint Paul to organize projects and events in their neighborhood. I am beyond impressed with the work being done at their agency, and would encourage everyone who reads this to attend Minnesota's Hmong New Year on Thanksgiving weekend for a taste of Hmong culture, traditions and food!