September Newsletter

UPCOMING AK CONNECTION EVENTS October 12: Chuseok Celebration with AK Connection                       Join us for a fun and laid-back gathering for Korean adoptees, families, and friends in honor of Chuseok! Hanji Crew will guide us through an all-ages hanji craft. Snacks will be provided, including kimbap! Space Limited - Registration Required: Limit one project per person and 4 projects per household. All attendees are expected to adhere to our guidelines to ensure a respectful and welcoming environment. Date: October 12, 2025 Time: 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM Location: 4800 Douglas Dr N, Crystal, MN 55429 (Crystal Community Center - Crystal Room) Your Invited!   Please join us as AK Connection celebrates 25 years of serving and empowering the Korean adoptee community in Minnesota and beyond through cultural, educational, and social programming. This special night will bring together Korean adoptees, their loved ones, public officials, community leaders, and supporters to honor our shared history and look ahead to a vibrant future. Early-bird pricing ($75 GA / $100 VIP) ends at 11:59 PM on October 7, 2025.  Regular pricing ($85 GA / $110 VIP) ends at 11:59 PM on October 21, 2025.  Late registration pricing ($100 GA / $125) ends at 11:59 PM on November 4, 2025. Tickets COMMUNITY EVENTS

Highlighting Korean American and Adoptee community events October 6, 2025: Bridge to Korea tour information session (virtual event) October 11, 2025: KAM Center’s 25th Annivesary  October 13, 2025: KAAN: Reframing Chuseok (virtual event) October 16-19, 2025: Kimchi Healing Retreat (Hudson Valley, NY) April 16-19, 2026: Also-Known-As New York 30th Anniversary June 19-21, 2026: KAAN 2026 Conference Current Favorites from the Board Kira: Playing Overwatch (support main) Tara: Sesame seeds from Korea - grown, harvested, and roasted by my Omma Denis: Alice in Borderland: Season 3 Jenn: Bob's Burgers Kip: Re-watching Culinary Class Wars BOARD OF DIRECTORS NOTE We had a blast at the Fall Social! Thank you to everyone who joined us at Steady Pour for our Fall Social! We loved catching up on what’s happening in your lives and meeting some new chingus/friends! A special shout-out to Ellen Moodie for hosting us in such a beautiful space and for being our personal bartender for the evening—we’re so grateful for the time and care you gave to our group. We’re sure we’ll be back! As you can probably imagine, our focus is now shifting to our Anniversary Celebration on November 8th—don’t forget to grab your tickets! □ Early-bird pricing ends next week, so be sure to register soon. We’re thrilled to see so many of you already signed up! At the same time, we didn’t want to miss a chance to connect during Chuseok, one of Korea’s most meaningful holidays. For many adoptees, it can be challenging to find ways to honor this tradition. If you’re curious about how others are reframing Chuseok as Korean adoptees, we encourage you to check out KAAN’s virtual event: “Reframing Chuseok” on October 13. Happy Chuseok! 추석 잘 보내세요! Take care, AK Connection Board of Directors  Seeking Community Input for Roots & Reflections A Support Circle for Korean Adoptees At this time, AK Connection and fellow Korean adoptee and therapist, Megan Nyberg, MA, LPCC are in consideration of how best to continue creating and providing a safe space for adult Korean Adoptees in Minnesota to come together and discuss their experiences. Your input is extremely valuable and helps us improve future sessions and programming for our community.  Community Input for Roots & Reflections Help Support AK Connection Since 2000, AK Connection has served as a resource for adult Korean Adoptees, their families, and communities in Minnesota. As a non-profit organization led by all Korean Adoptees, we provide cultural, educational, and social programming for our Korean Adoptee community. This work would not be possible without community members donating their time, resources, and skills to AK Connection. DONATE TO AK CONNECTION VOLUNTEER INTEREST FORM BOARD MEMBER INTEREST FORM