Our Organization's History, Mission and Goals

Mission:

to advance educational and economic opportunities for Lao people and strengthen their connection to Lao culture and traditional values.”

Organizational goals:

  1. to educate, inform, and assist the Lao community; to strengthen their voices and improve their lives, health, families, and economic status so that they become more engaged within their community while remembering and honoring their Lao heritage and culture;
  2. to ensure seniors and their families receive all relevant information and referrals to resources that are available and to connect them with services that will help them become and remain healthy and to live safely in their homes; and,
  3. to expand the Lao community's access to Respite Care and Adult Day Care services while continuing to promote our existing programs and expanding partnerships with rural communities.

Lao Advancement Organization of America, Inc. (LAOA) was founded in 1988 by a group of Lao parents concerned with the high rate of crime in the Near North side of Minneapolis and the lack of safe, productive, and culturally appropriate neighborhood activities for children and youth outside of school. The organization received 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in 1991 as Lao Parents and Teachers Association (Lao PTA). By the early 1990s, Lao PTA had begun providing afterschool academic support services for Laotian and other Southeast Asian students. In 1999, Lao PTA purchased a building in North Minneapolis called the Lao Cultural Center (LCC). The LCC is disability-accessible and accommodates 120 people.


In 2003, the organization changed its name to Lao Advancement Organization of America, Inc. to reflect its expanded programming that supports a healthy and engaged life for all generations. LAOA primarily serves ethnic Lao families in the seven-county Twin Cities metro area, with most living in Hennepin and Anoka counties. Secondary audiences include ethnic Lao in greater Minnesota and Hmong in North Minneapolis.

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