1: To empower the welfare of Burmese people and Burmese American community
We are a community-based non-profit organization and we have organized or volunteered in many activities of SF Bay Area to enhance the social welfare of Burmese people and community. We have initiated an Emergency Aid Program to aid people or humanitarian organizations who are in an immediate need of financial supports. We also have a translation and interpretation program to help Burmese refugees in hospitals and California driving tests. Moreover, OMC participated in the 2010 US Census from the leading role of the whole Burmese American Community so that the current Burmese population in the U.S. can be counted accurately and we have got a very positive final count result from official US Census data.
2: To support the education and career networking of Burmese youths and immigrants.
We are aiming to carry out educational tutoring programs, college counseling and career workshops for the youths, new immigrants and refugees from Burma. We have the bi-yearly Burmese Graduates Honoring Celebration starting from 2011 to encourage all Burmese students in the US to celebrate their educational journey. We helped volunteer in the “Empowering Youths with Education – Burma” program every Saturday in Oakland, to help the Burmese ethnic refugee students from Thai-Burma Border with their school work and English. We initiated the Burmese Professional Networking program in 2013.
3: To promote and preserve all Burmese ethnic cultures, arts and diversity
It is a very important mission for OMC to promote and preserve the cultures, arts and identities of all Burmese ethnic groups in U.S. To fulfill that objective, we have participated in many cultural activities such as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month celebrations and Southeast Asian Mid-autumn Harvest Festivals. OMC was involved in cultural exhibitions such as “Tales from Emerald Cities” of Asian Art Museum of San Francisco in Oct 25, 2009. OMC is also a partner organization of Southeast Asia Arts and Cultural Coalition (SEAACC) since September 2011. Moreover, OMC is teaching a cultural section in a monthly Burmese language and Cultural class to TBYG (Theravada Buddhist Youth Group), co-joining with Theravada Buddhist Society (TDS) in order to pass our cultural torches to younger Burmese American generations.
4: To continue support to maintain Myanmar Community and Cultural Center activities and efforts.
To establish a first Myanmar Community and Cultural Center in San Francisco Bay Area is one of the main objectives of founding OMC. As a part of the community, OMC has led the SF Bay Area Burmese Community to the first community fundraiser cultural concert and food fair on Aug 9, 2009, the second fundraiser on July 9, 2011 and the third and biggest fundraiser so far as the Burmese New Year Thingyan Festival on May 27, 2012. We formed the Myanmar Community and Cultural Center (BMCCC) Committee in 2010. June26, 2014, OMC has successfully helped opened the first Myanmar Community and Cultural Center in Union City, California.
Please go to the following links to see details of OMC’s on-going, upcoming and past activities and events by the timeline.
OMC Past Activities and Events