The South Sudanese of Mower County is inviting community leaders, business owners and area residents to discuss how to bring a new community center to Austin at a meeting this Saturday.

Sudanese volunteers have pursued a new Sudanese community center for the past few months to help area refugees get acclimated to life in the U.S. The Sudanese hope the public meeting at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, inside the City Council Chambers will lead to opportunities to make that happen.

“We want to move on from our problems and help make our community better,” local Sudanese advocate Chief Brown Bol said. Bol is the head of the South Sudanese of Mower County group, which formed to help area Sudanese deal with education, transportation, employment and law enforcement issues.

To that end, Bol and other Sudanese leaders have spoken to area groups and local government officials about the need for a place for Sudanese to help each other learn English, work on community issues and get more involved in area happenings.

Bol said many families can struggle to get used to life in Minnesota without help learning English and the processes behind many things residents can take for granted. At times, parents can rely on their children who speak English, but Bol said the Sudanese want to become more engaged through helping themselves, especially when attending parent teacher conferences and learning how their children are doing in class.

City officials have previously said they wouldn’t support a center for one specific group, but there is a need for the Sudanese to have a place that can provide services.

“The Sudanese are a very active part of our community,” Mayor Tom Stiehm said.