Following the Vietnam War, many people of Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam fled persecution in their homelands and eventually made their way from refugee camps to the Twin Cities. In 1981, some Lutheran pastors and lay people responded to the many new refugees arriving in St. Paul by founding Southeast Asian Ministry (SeAM) as a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization. Over the years the needs of the refugees have changed, as have the programs of SeAM, but our core mission has stayed the same.  In 2009, the board of directors rewrote the mission statement to read, "SeAM is a faith-based ministry serving as a catalyst to empower refugees and immigrants.  We educate the public about immigration issues and provide services with compassion and excellence."

Current programs include the Capitol Hill English School, the Christmas Friendship Program, quilt distribution, support for Pan Dau, a parish nurse program, a social/recreational program for isolated refugee elders, educational presentations, and advocacy. Click on the “Our Programs” link for more information. As more and more immigrants and refugees call the Twin Cities their new home, we both offer ongoing support to those who have been here for several years and look forward to the opportunity to serve the newly-arrived through both established and new programs. SeAM's financial support comes from individuals, congregations, the St. Paul Area Synod, and grants from churches, foundations, and the government.

How to find us:
SeAM is located in the lower level of

Christ Lutheran Church.
105 University Ave W
St. Paul, MN 55103

Directions to SeAM

Parking is located on the north side of the building, off of Park and Sherburne.

 

If you want to learn more about SeAM, you can read our quarterly newsletters here.