Who We Are

Lao Family Community of Minnesota (LFC) is a community-based, non-profit organization established in 1977 as the Hmong Association of Minnesota by Hmong refugees who had fought alongside the U.S. “Secret War” in Laos during the Vietnam War. The agency was incorporated in 1983 under its current name. Its mission is "to facilitate and promote the success of Hmong Americans in Minnesota, while also recognizing and supporting other immigrant and refugee populations".

In 1994, the agency realized a long held dream by purchasing and renovating a large building on University Avenue in St. Paul. This serves as a community center and source for human services for refugee/immigrant families in the Twin Cities, with a strong emphasis on St. Paul. A second building leased on the East Side of St. Paul is readily accessible to the many refugee/immigrant groups utilizing English Education and Youth and Family Services programs.

Organizational goals are to:

• strengthen organizational cohesiveness across all departments and service locations;
• unite staff, board, and members around a common purpose and for the benefit of the community;
• develop new and integrated strategies that will meet the Hmong community’s most challenging needs with creativity, courage, and cultural competence; increase the opportunities and resources for staff development;
• increase public relations activity while balancing cultural considerations, benefit to the agency, and respect for clients and the Hmong community; and
• develop a comprehensive financial plan and complementary fundraising strategies that will move the organization forward with a focus on long-term resource development.

The core operating philosophy of the agency is to identify barriers and challenges confronting the refugee community and then develop and maintain programs to meet these identified needs. Programs are clustered into five areas: English Education, Youth and Families, Employment, Social Work, and Health Education and Outreach.