Vision:

HAP reaches out to the world with profound social, economic and educational transformation.

Mission:

Hmong American Partnership (HAP) is a social service and community development organization whose mission is to empower the community to embrace the strengths of our cultures while achieving our potential.

HAP accomplishes its mission by:

* Improving the lives of individuals and families in our diverse communities by providing culturally sensitive social services.
* Strengthening neighborhoods by providing housing, community, and economic development opportunities.
* Promoting the rich heritage of our ethnic communities.

History:

Christopher Thao and Robert Anderson shared a vision of an organization that would help newly arrived Hmong refugees adjust to life in the United States.

Hmong American Partnership was founded in 1990, based on the Hmong community’s need for an organization that would help Hmong refugees adjust to life in America by drawing on the strengths of both the Hmong and American cultures. In June of 1990, HAP welcomed the community to its basement offices in the Saint Paul Midway area.

Initially, HAP focused on providing basic social services to new arrivals, such as helping Hmong refugees receive public assistance benefits, teaching English classes, and helping Hmong families to transition into American society.

As the Twin Cities became home to the largest concentration of Hmong people in the United States, HAP also grew into one of the biggest nonprofit Hmong organizations in the U.S. The growth in the size and service offerings of HAP over the years has been dramatic. Initially HAP opened its doors offering two programs, with an operating budget of only $400,000. Currently HAP serves the community with over 20 programs with an organizational budget of more than $3 million. HAP has grown from a provider of refugee-resettlement assistance to an established nonprofit social services and community development provider.

HAP’s four main service areas are Education and Training, Elderly Services, Employment Services, and Youth and Family Services. We proudly serve the Twin Cities area with offices in North Minneapolis, on University Avenue in Saint Paul, and our main office, built in 2005, is located on Saint Paul’s East Side on Arcade Street.