Korean Flag

Improving the Lives of Korean Youth Through Outreach and Education

Our Mission

Korean Kids and Orphanage Outreach Mission (“KKOOM”, pronounced “koom”) is a 501(c)(3) charity that provides access to education for Korean youth, such as funding for preschool and college scholarships. Relying on individual financial contributions, KKOOM also sponsors and hosts holiday celebrations, summer activities and other events throughout the year which help the children have fun and learn life skills. Additionally, KKOOM gives gifts of clothing, household items, and other tangible support to meet the basic needs at Korean children’s homes on a case-by-case basis.

KKOOM is organized as a nonprofit corporation in the State of Georgia. Our Federal Tax ID is 26-1204716.

Who We Are

KKOOM Board Members met in person in Boston in July 2017: (L to R) Tina Mohr, Grace Lee, Bill Downey, Aimee Jachym, and Leanne Stein

The current KKOOM Board of Directors presently consists of 6 members, and each director is elected to a one-year term. Directors may be re-elected to serve additional terms. The Board meets monthly via Internet teleconference and once annually in person. Directors are responsible for paying for their own travel expenses to the annual meeting. KKOOM’s Co-founder, Erika Senneseth, is an honorary board member. Since 2007, a total of 20 people have served at various times on the volunteer-driven Board of Directors.

Aimee Jachym

President/Co-Founder, since September 2007

Aimee was born in South Korea and adopted by a Detroit-area family as an infant. In 2004, she made her first return to South Korea on a Fulbright teaching grant. Aimee spent her free time in Korea volunteering at Samsungwon, the orphanage in Gumi, and developing basic Korean language skills. She never expected that the 2004-05 ad-hoc holiday fundraising drive would evolve, with the help of great friends, into KKOOM three years later. She has bachelor’s degrees from Western Michigan University and a juris doctorate from Wayne State University. From 2011-2013, Aimee took a break from her legal career to serve as KKOOM’s first Chief Administrator.  She currently practices corporate and international law as an attorney at Miller Canfield.

Leanne Stein

Secretary, since September 2007

Born and raised in Los Angeles County, California, Leanne graduated from Pitzer College of the Claremont College Consortium in 2005. At Pitzer, Leanne double majored in Psychology and English & World Literature, played varsity softball, was active with Pitzer College’s student senate, and spent a semester studying abroad in Botswana. After graduating, Leanne was a 2005-2006 Fulbright ETA, teaching English to the boys at Gyeonggu High School in Gumi. Leanne spent her free time volunteering with the Samsungwon Orphanage preschool children, first and second grade elementary school girls, and a middle school boy. Leanne earned her Masters in Communication Disorders and Sciences from California State University, Northridge. Currently, Leanne lives in Los Angeles and works as a speech-language pathologist. Leanne has served on KKOOM’s Board since the beginning and is strongly committed to KKOOM’s mission.

Helen Shin

At-large, since January 2012

Helen Shin is a corporate attorney in New York. In addition to legal experience, she brings to the Board a passion for social justice and international human rights matters. Her experience includes co-supervising an international human rights clinic at Fordham University School of Law and researching and doing fieldwork on various humans rights issues in Sierra Leone and Malawi. She has devoted significant amounts of time to legal pro bono work, and looks forward to utilizing her talents and resources to benefit KKOOM and the children in Korea.

Sara Shin

At-large, since January 2012

Sara Shin was a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in South Korea in 2006-07. During her time in Cheonan, she volunteered at Samil orphanage where she taught English to elementary school-aged girls. Since returning from Korea, she has worked in nonprofit fund development in New York and brings a wealth of operational expertise to the KKOOM board. She currently resides in the Bay Area. Sara has been a strong advocate for KKOOM since its inception and looks forwards to helping KKOOM achieve its mission: to improve the lives of orphans in South Korea.

William Downey

At-large, since March 2015

Bill Downey is an information technology specialist and professional photographer based out of Boston, Massachusetts. After completing his career in the U.S. Army, Bill has performed in various roles from senior IT manager with Harvard University, commercial pilot with a private aviation firm and adjunct professor with Lasell College.  Bill completed his undergraduate degree at Western New England University, holds various technical certifications as well as being a commercial pilot and certified scuba diver.  Bill’s keen interest and passion for Korean culture formulated during a four-year tour of duty in Korea during his army career, and previous experience with various non-profit organizations led to his desire to support the KKOOM mission.  Bill has also supported KKOOM by making volunteer trips to Korea and is committed to continuing his direct engagement with the kids and the orphanages through multiple visits each year.

Tina Mohr

At-large, since October 2015; Treasurer, since October 2016

Tina is a legislative analyst for the Connecticut General Assembly, and she is also licensed to practice law in Connecticut. In her free time, she enjoys watching Korean dramas and studying the Korean language. Tina’s daughter is adopted from South Korea, so she brings a unique perspective to the KKOOM Board as an adoptive parent. Her desire to help children in Korean orphanages is a very personal commitment, and her background in finance and strong analytical skills serve her well as KKOOM’s Treasurer.

Grace Lee

Chief Administrator, since May 2017

Grace Lee was a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Sejong, South Korea in 2015-2016. Before Fulbright, she graduated from Georgia State University in 2012 with a Public Policy degree, concentration in Non-Profit Leadership. While at GSU, she was a Welcome Center Tour Guide, Vice President for Student Government Association, and crowned the 3rd Asian Homecoming Queen.  While also being KKOOM’s Chief Administrator, she teaches 8th Grade English part-time at a private Christian school near Atlanta, Georgia. She volunteered at the annual Samsungwon Christmas party in 2015 and has supported orphans and kids on service trips to Nicaragua, Tanzania, and Jamaica. Before serving as Chief Administrator, she served on KKOOM’s Board of Directors from December 2016-April 2017. Grace hopes to adopt a child in the future so she is passionate about KKOOM’s mission to improve the lives of orphans.

Erika Senneseth

Co-Founder / Honorary Board Member

After graduation from Connecticut College, Erika spent the 2004-2005 school year teaching English as a foreign language at the all boys’ Gyeonggu High School in Gumi, South Korea. Her favorite times in Korea were working with preschool and early elementary children at Samsungwon orphanage. She now uses her Masters in Education to coordinate the educational components of KKOOM’s 360 degree giving campaign. She is originally from Minnesota but is currently the Assistant Head of School at Sandhills School, a school for students with dyslexia and ADHD in Columbia South Carolina. She served on the KKOOM Board of Directors from 2007-2013.

History of KKOOM

KKOOM was founded in September 2007 as an extension of an ongoing Fulbright English Teaching Assistant volunteer project at Samsungwon, an orphanage in Gumi, South Korea, which began in the fall of 2004. Thanks to increased interest and sustained support, the original American volunteers at Samsungwon decided to launch a new nonprofit organization to grow their efforts at Samsungwon and reach out to other orphans and orphanages throughout South Korea.

Currently, KKOOM is celebrating 14 years of being a sustainable non-profit organization that impacts the lives of approximately 170 children at Samsungwon, Emmanuel, and Aemangwon Children’s Home. We thank our donors, supporters, and friends for helping us invest in these children in South Korea to help improve their lives.

ABOUT OUR LOGO : The silver symbol in the center is a Korean character, which is pronounced kkoom. Kkoom means dream in Korean. Korea is a very beautiful and mountainous country, and we hope that the lives of the children in Korean children’s homes we serve will be brightened by the work we are doing to help bring their dreams to pass.