United Cambodian Association of MN

Introduction

The mission of UCAM is to promote health, social, economic and educational opportunities for Cambodians and other new Americans in Minnesota.

Each year, over 350 volunteers provide more than 10,000 hours of volunteering services. UCAM provides its clients with skills, tools and knowledge necessary to achieve long-term economic independence and successful social integration into American society while fostering ethnic heritage and cultural preservation. The five main areas of programming are Elders, Families, Youth, Health, and Legal Services.

Contact

Yorn Yan, Executive Director
1385 Mendota Heights Rd
Suite 500
Mendota Heights, MN 55120

651.222.3299

info@ucamin.org

Website

ucamn.org

Business hours

Accessibility

Services:

  • Adult Day Care: to provide a variety of health, social, and related support services in a protective setting to meet the culturally specific needs of Cambodian elders; examples:
    • Arts, crafts, and music
    • Chronic disease management, health screening and follow up, mental health referrals, living healthy with diabetes
    • Group discussions, storytelling, community circle dialogues
    • Health education: diabetes, classes, nutritional classes
    • Paperwork, billing, letters; accessing public insurance, social security and waiver programs, citizenship application
  • Elder Independent Living Program: The overall goal of the Cambodian Elder Independent Living Program is to provide a culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate variety of health, social, and related support 
services in a protective setting to meet the
 culturally specific needs of Cambodian elders.
    • The program offers elders aged 60 and older the following services: supplemental security income (SSI), welfare, advocacy, citizenship, translation, transportation, immigration assistance, civic education, social gathering, health education, physical activities, funeral assistance, English language classes, Medicare application, cultural and traditional ceremonies, and housing assistance.
  • Immigration Services: Provides bilingual and bicultural legal and immigration assistance to low-income refugees and immigrants living in Minnesota.
    • Assistance with green card and citizenship applications, family reunification, and public benefits applications
    • Each year, the Immigration Services program serves approximately 200 Cambodians, Hmong, and other Southeast Asians clients.
  • Health Education: The Health Education Program has three components:
    1. Community health education and awareness
    2. Tobacco education and ­­­­engagement
    3. Healthy living
    • Provides health education to community members in the areas of health management, health emergency, diabetes and nutrition education, physical activities, mental health, and tobacco awareness.
  • Youth Development: focuses on academic achievement, leadership development, and strengthening ties to family and culture. Two major programs:
    1. Future Bound Youth (FBY)
      1. To nurture youth’s development and enhance their social and academic skills so they can reach productive, satisfying, and economically promising futures
      2. After-school tutoring, culture-specific lessons, games, summer enrichment programs, health/wellness programs, parent support groups
    2. Youth Intervention Program (YIP)
      1. To prevent crime, drug use, and gang activity
      2. Staff serves as a liaison between public schools and Cambodian parents
      3. Provides support for at-risk youth and families, offers alternatives to negative behavior for Cambodian youth aged 10-21, and emphasizes positive parenting skills and self-esteem
  • Nutrition Program: UCAM reconnects participants with their eating habits in their home countries where produce is a core part of their diet. UCAM works with Kolap restaurant to provide meals to the seniors in the program five days a week. The nutrition program is a multifaceted program that combines community gardening, traditional foods, and nutrition education.