The grass roots contributions made by the early leaders and members of the Wive's Club laid the foundation of experience and strength for the present organization to draw upon. The purpose of this club was to help new arrivals in the United States and Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area adjust more quickly to the American way of life. Members not only assisted newcomers to become familiar with the area and its cultural and recreational facilities, but to provide friendship when it was needed most. OKAW became a nonprofit, tax exempt, educational, and charitable organization, under the 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, on March 19, 1984. While the original purpose of the Wive's Club still remains, over the years there has been a tremendous growth in the breadth and complexity of OKAW's goals.

Current objectives of the organization are to provide "Hot-Line" telephone counseling capability, establish and manage a "Women's Shelter" for battered and abused women, educational and cultural programs, English language lessons and assistance to American-Asians in Korea on immigration requirements.

OKAW meets once a month to address important issues which benefit not only our understanding of life in America, but also to provide a forum for members to discuss ways the organization can benefit the society.

Presently, Metropolitan D.C. OKAW consists of well over 200 members, with over 90 percent having jobs in various professional fields while still volunteering time to OKAW. Membership is open to anyone wishing to serve the community in a positive way. We refer to ourselves as "Ambassadors of Goodwill", helping to bridge the gap of understanding by bridging Korean culture and history to the American public through organzational activities.