This year, the Lao Assistance Center of Minnesota (LACM) celebrates their 30th anniversary. Since 1983, LACM has been helping Minnesota’s Lao community with various services such as housing, health awareness, youth advancement, elder empowerment, and cultural engagement. Their mission is “to enhance the quality of life of Minnesota Lao families”. The Lao Assistance Center of Minnesota is located within the Harrison Neighborhood Recreation Center in North Minneapolis. This short photo essay was shot over the course of a few days at LACM. It is a small glance into what LACM does and the faces that work the machine. In all, LACM is made up of multiple full-time staffers, several part-time consultants, and three interns. They work to better the lives of the Lao community in Minnesota. Sunny chats with a Minnesota State representative at a Minneapolis mayoral candidate forum. First off is Sunny Chanthanouvong, the center’s executive director.  Sunny recently received the Virginia McKnight Binger Human Services Award from the McKnight Foundation. I have found that his enthusiastic greeting, “Hiiiiiii!!” to be his most iconic phrase. …