Welcome to the Karen Organization of Minnesota

The Karen Organization of Minnesota (“KOM”) welcomes you and hopes this website can provide you with information about the Karen People in addition to providing resources for the Karen and other refugees from Burma living in Minnesota and the United States.

KOM welcomes St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and Councilmember Amy Brendmoen

The Karen Organization of Minnesota was honored to have Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and Councilmember Amy Brendmoen visit our office on April 23. Mayor Coleman and Councilmember Brendmoen discussed numerous issues with KOM staff, board members, and Karen community leaders.

KOM staff raised the need for more safe and affordable housing, an issue Mayor Coleman and Councilmember Brendmoen both acknowledged as a priority. Mayor Coleman also stressed the importance of supporting youth by increasing parent involvement in education and quality out-of-school-time activities. He supported the development of Parent Academy in Saint Paul Public Schools and championed the creation of Sprockets, a network that connects youth with after-school and summer programs across the city.

Mayor Coleman and Councilmember Brendmoen noted that the North End of Saint Paul has strong potential for jobs and innovation. Both are pursuing efforts to create more jobs locally in areas such as sewing and manufacturing. This would allow Karen families to stay together in Saint Paul, where they can receive stronger support from KOM and the community, rather than moving across the region in pursuit of jobs.

We thank Mayor Coleman and Councilmember Brendmoen for taking time out of their day to have this engaging meeting. We look forward to working with them on many issues to enhance the quality of life for refugees from Burma living in Saint Paul.