Helping families thrive
We understand the significant challenges and barriers to housing and resources facing immigrants and refugees in Madison and Dane County. We provide wraparound services and case management to support new immigrants and refugees to achieve immediate stability, enhance their ability to secure and maintain employment, and facilitate inclusion and integration into the community.
Immigrant Support
How we support families
- Housing assistance
- Employment assistance
- Transportation assistance
- Language assistance
- Case management
- Connection with Immigration and legal resources
- Access to food, clothing and basic needs
Past Events
African Immigrant Mothers Hangout
Information session about your right as an immigrant
Recognizing the unique challenges that face our community, we used this hangout as a space for healing, peer support and community building for African mothers with children 5 years or below. Mothers learned together, had a time to relax because we provided childcare, shared postpartum experiences, and connected with local resources.
Community Survey
We want to hear from you.
The African Center upholds our community’s trust and well-being. We understand the barriers already facing immigrant families and we want to how the restrictive travel and visa policies are affecting the health and well-being of African immigrants in Dane County, WI.
We call it the “Africa Ban” because the current travel ban affects 19 countries, 10 of which are African countries and Reuters hints that the administration might ban 36 more countries, 25 of which are African countries. (Reuters: published June 16, 2025). We want to hear from community members. How are these bans affecting you, your family, your coworkers, your business/work, etc.? Please complete this anonymous survey and also share with your network.
We will share outcomes from this survey by end of this year. For questions, please contact info@africancentermadison.org.
Past Workshops
Know Your Rights Immigration Workshop
Information session about your right as an immigrant
Given the current immigration policies and vilification of immigrant, it has become pertinent for our community member to increase their knowledge about immigrant rights and receive information on local immigration resources.
- Date: July 13th, 2025
Past Initiatives
Reducing the impact of COVID-19 on African immigrant families
Why this critical support?
African immigrants face multifaceted challenges that were particularly exacerbated by the social distress and immense financial hardships resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Our program aims to provide critical assistance to immigrants and their families in Madison and Dane County.
What our program provides:
- Case management
- Financial assistance with immigration legal fees
- Financial assistance for vocational training and job mentorship
- 31-day Metro bus passes
- Connect participants with community-based English as a Second Language (ESL) learning centers
- Grocery cards
- Prescription cost assistance
We also connect participants to other community services, including food pantries, clothing closets, and free/no-cost medical clinics to further meet their basic needs.
Impact
Our work by the numbers since 2022/2023
From our beneficiaries...
I have received assistance from the African Center support program for undocumented immigrants. I am a single parent with an eight year old daughter. I used to do two jobs but I have arthritis. But, lately, last year, I stopped doing two jobs because my arthritis was progressing. I’m just doing one job and I am paying $1230 for my rent, excluding other bills. A friend told me about African Center support. They helped me (to) apply for rental support and also helped me (to) pay (..) for my CNA classes. I’m very grateful (to) them. Thank you.
The program was so helpful for me and my family, especially for my visually impaired daughter (whose) asylum finally got approved. So now she can get healthcare. I definitely appreciate the program. It’s very very helpful to us, my son and my daughter, they all got help from this program and we all pray for it to be continued.
I would like to give a special thanks to the donors that funded the program to help assist my family when a hardship approached me. It benefited me and allowed me to be able to provide the things I needed for my children and relieve some stress on being behind in rent.
"Je suis à Wisconsin madison il y'a deux ans avec ma famille. Je suis très ravi de programme du centre africain de madison car le programme m'a aidé à payer mes frais de l'émigration pour avoir mon permis de travail et avoir ma carte vert américain auprès de mon avocat, pour pouvoir travailler aider ma petite famille, ma femme et mes trois enfants à leurs supporter leur besoin." (English translation - I've been in Madison, Wisconsin for two years with my family. I'm very happy with the African Center's program here in Madison because the program helped me pay for my immigration fees to get my work permit and green card through my lawyer, so I can work and support my family - my wife and three children - with their needs).
We look forward to hearing from you.