Open Doors for Refugees

Helping refugees make a home in the Madison area

About
- Who We Are
  - Open Doors for Refugees
    Open Doors for Refugees is a volunteer-driven organization based in Madison, Wisconsin whose mission is to help refugees make a home in the Madison area.
- Who Are Refugees?
  - Who are Refugees?
    People who have fled their country to escape persecution, violence, or war are refugees.
    Refugees in Wisconsin
    Between 2019 and 2021, 1,254 refugees have settled in Wisconsin.
- Community Resources
  - Community Resources
  - Legal Resources
  - Jobs
  - Rent / Billing Assistance
  - Healthcare
  - Food
  - Transportation
  - Internet
  - Diapers & Menstrual Care
  - ESL
- Our Partners
  - Partnering Organizations
    A huge thanks goes to these neighboring organizations that make it possible for us to fulfill our mission.
- Contact Us
  - Contact Us
    General: [email protected]
    
    Donate Furniture and Household Items: [email protected]
    
    Volunteering Inquiries: [email protected]
    
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OpenDoorsForRefugees/
- DEI Statement
  - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
    Everything we do is designed to help refugees overcome challenges in housing, employment, culture, and language (to name a few), ultimately making Madison a place of greater equity and inclusion.
    Read our full statement.
What We Do
- Upcoming Meetings & Events
  - Upcoming Meetings
    We regularly host and partake in community events to support our newest neighbors.
    Upcoming Events
    We host a series of events throughout the year.
- Programs
  - Our Programs
    We have a variety of programs that directly benefit refugees.
  - Home Setup for Recent Arrivals
  - Transportation (rides)
  - Bus System Training
  - Free Bikes for Adults & Kids
  - ESL Tutoring & Mentorship
  - Childcare for Afghan Moms Learning ESL
  - Childcare Support for Health & Wellness Classes
  - Rental Assistance for Recent Arrivals
  - Winter Wear
  - Food Gift Cards for Recent Arrivals
  - Sewing Machines & Supplies
  - Events
Newsletters & Articles
- Past Newsletters
  - Past Newsletters
    Every month, Open Doors for Refugees releases a newsletter.
    Sign up to begin receiving email updates every other month.
- Open Doors in the News
  - Open Doors in the News
    A timeline of articles and other media that reference our work.
- Refugee Stories
- Community Updates
  - Community Updates
    News posts about ODFR and our interactions with the local community and updates about past ODFR events.
- World News
  - World News
    Posts about current world affairs.
- Special Topics
  - Special Topics
    Posts that go into detail about major world events and other important topics. We tend to keep these updated over time.

Activities at the Upcoming Potluck

Posted by Alex

This September 15th, join us at the upcoming potluck for a series of fun family-friendly activities! Soccer, crafts, dance lessons, and more.

Learn more here: A Fall Potluck in the Park

And see what music acts we have planned.

Madison Reading Project

A promotional photo for the Madison Reading Project

For the full event, the Madison Reading Project will have their Big Red Reading Bus available for books to be checked out.

https://www.madisonreadingproject.com

League of Women Voters of Dane County

The League of Women Voters of Dane County will have a booth available, providing information to help people better be able to participate in this country’s democracy.

https://www.lwvdanecounty.org

Warda Bayda’s Crafts

Warda Bayda will have a booth with beautiful hand-made crafts available all event.

https://www.facebook.com/wardabaydaartisans

1-2 PM: Soccer and the Giant Parachute

Soccer will be chaperoned and a large parachute will be unfurled!

2-3 PM: Crafts!

Rock painting, bookmark making, flower arranging, and a whole bead table will be available for kids to make bracelets.

3-4 PM: Dance Lessons

Friends of the Congo will be hosting a dance lesson.

Learn more: https://friendsofthecongo.org/

Also, by the way…

This is a potluck, you are welcome to bring your own dish. We are certain the selection this year will be as great as the last!

Host Sponsor

Advocate Sponsors

Ally Sponsor

In Partnership With

In-Kind Sponsors

Looking to Sponsor in 2025?