Kassim Rajab is a Road to Livelihood case manager at Forward Service Corporation in the Refugee Cash Assistance Department and the founder and Executive Director of the Madison Refugee Union. How long have you been in your current roles and what drew you to these positions? I am the Executive Director of the Madison Refugee Union,… Read More
It is our goal at Open Doors for Refugees to make information accessible about similar organizations that support newly arrived refugees in other states. Here you will find information about resources in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Human Services maintains a list of community service agencies serving immigrants. Click here to view the full list… Read More
It is our goal at Open Doors for Refugees to make information accessible about similar organizations that support newly arrived refugees in other states. Here you will find information about resources in Iowa. To access the New Iowan Resource Directory, a list created by the Refugee Alliance of Central Iowa of services and programs for… Read More
Open Doors has been through a lot this year, some of which you can learn about below. And as we also look back on the past year’s world events, it is important to remember that these tragedies and their impacts are ongoing; there are efforts we can take to support those effected by these crises…. Read More
In addition to Open Doors for Refugees, there are numerous organizations across Wisconsin dedicated to supporting refugees as they make a home in their new community. This list is an ongoing effort. Know of another organization outside of Dane County that helps refugees make a home in Wisconsin? Email [email protected] to let us know! By… Read More
Open Doors for Refugees and the Catholic Multicultural Center invite you to attend “A Reading with Najib Azad: Reflections of an Afghan Evacuee”. The event will take place from 7:00-8:30 pm on August 15 at the CMC (1862 Beld St, Madison, WI 53713, USA). Doors open at 6:30 pm. Light refreshments will be served. Afghan… Read More
On June 14, 2023, a fishing boat carrying an estimated 750 people capsized off the coast of Greece. At last count, 104 survivors have been rescued, at least 78 people have died, and hundreds of passengers are still missing. Nearly all those on board were refugees from Afghanistan and Pakistan. The International Organization for Migration… Read More
ODFR’s “sewing machine lady” is Karen Cornwell, who for years has been gifting newly arrived refugees, seniors, and low-income individuals with sewing machines via a variety of organizations. “It comes in spurts,” she says. “In the past couple months, working with JSS and ODFR, I think we’ve delivered 20 machines to women from Afghanistan, the… Read More
ODFR couldn’t operate without its warehouses: when newcomer families arrive with little notice, ODFR & JSS volunteers collaborate, setting up apartments fast with donated furniture and housewares collected from all over Madison and stored in donated warehouse space. Here are five things you might not know about ODFR’s warehouses!
In his eloquent appearance on Channel 3000 to promote the 2023 Freeze for Food, Farhan A. shared the eight-year-long road to his dream job as a microbiologist at the University of Wisconsin. Farhan and his family fled Iraq and arrived in Madison in 2014, under auspices of the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Madison’s Lutheran Social… Read More
