FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE)- A local organization aimed at improving the lives of Burmese refugees is in desperate need of funding. The Burmese Advocacy Center must raise $10,000 dollars by March in order to keep its doors open through the end of the year.

Burmese refugees came to Fort Wayne in the early 1990s after after fleeing from military regime in Burma, which is now known as Myanmar. Recognizing the need to help the refugees assimilate, the Burmese Advocacy center started in 2008.

Since its inception, the center has worked with employers and workers on job placement and training. It also helps with legal issues, domestic violence, and education.

The center had been funded by grants over the years, but the agency is no longer is getting that money. Leaders hope the community rallies together to raise what is needed for it to stay open.