Karen Organization of San Diego

Karen Organization of San Diego (KOSD) advances educational, civic, and economic opportunities for ethnic groups from Burma (Myanmar) while honoring cultural heritage. Founded in 2009, KOSD considers itself a grassroots organization led by and for the community it serves. Since emergence, KOSD has served 600+ refugees and newcomers from Burma each year through case management, support groups, youth program and leadership development, civic engagement, and employment services and small business technical assistance. With the recently launched Global Marketplace Project and our weekly food distribution program, KOSD started to serve the multiple refugee and immigrant communities of the City Heights neighborhood in the City of San Diego, all who have been historically marginalized, and for whom economic mobility has been limited by language barriers, minimal access to education, and insufficient access to capital.