Immigrant Support Program

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.

Housing support

We understand the significant challenges and barriers to housing facing immigrants in Madison and Dane County. Through this program, we are dedicated to helping immigrant and refugee families achieve immediate stability through basic needs assistance, wraparound care, and resource navigation. Our program prioritizes families with kids under 18 years.

What assistance can I get:

Security Deposit and/or 1-month rent: We assist struggling immigrant and refugee families with payment of security deposits and rent.
Metro Bus Cards: We provide bus cards to facilitate transportation and help clients access other local resources.
Grocery Cards: We provide one-time grocery cards to help clients purchase for themselves and their families food.

What are the eligibility criteria:

African immigrants or refugees living in Madison and Dane County.
For housing support:
i. At-risk of homelessness or experiencing housing instability
ii. Must have one or more minors living in the household
iii. Be a principal or joint leaseholder
Must meet income limit below.

Income limits:

1-person household with a total income of $26,460 or less
2-person household with a total income of $30,240 or less
3-person household with a total income of $34,020 or less
4-person household with a total income of $37,770 or less
5-person household with a total income of $40,800 or less

How long do I wait after applying for support: Application processing takes up to 21 days or less from contacting our outreach officers to receiving support.

When to apply for support: The program accepts requests for support throughout the year.

How do I apply for assistance: Contact our outreach officers to enroll. There are 3 ways to reach out:

Call Henry at (608) 957-5623 or Lydia at (608) 294-0066 to make an appointment.
Send an email to info@africancentermadison.org or housing@africancentermadison.org
Walk-ins. See our service schedule below.

Job search & Placement

We are dedicated to helping individuals and community members find jobs in Madison and Dane County. Our goal is to support community members in their career pursuits and enhance their chances of securing employment.

We are also a referral agency for the City of Madison’s Referrals and Interviews for Sustainable Employment (RaISE) Program. As a referral agency, we connect job seekers with employment opportunities, ensuring that candidates who meet the job requirements are referred for suitable positions.

Contact our outreach officers for assistance. See our service schedule below for appointments and walk-ins.

In-person service schedule

**We will regularly update our schedule to reflect any necessary changes.

We always cater to walk-ins, but we encourage you to make an appointment.

Contact our staff for appointment:

Henry: (608) 957-5623 | Lydia: (608) 294-0066

Email: info@africancentermadison.org | housing@africancentermadison.org

Please note: We have a staff training this Friday, September 20th, so our staff will be unavailable at our locations.

Mondays

Tuesdays

Wednesdays

Thursdays

Fridays

Mondays

Tuesdays

Wednesdays

Thursdays

Fridays

Survey on immigration workshops

We want to organize quarterly immigration workshops for the benefit of our community. Your feedback is invaluable in shaping workshops that will not only be relevant but genuinely enriching. As we gear up for an exciting lineup of workshops in 2024, we want to ensure that our programming aligns with the interests and needs of our diverse community.

It takes only 60 seconds to complete the survey.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and ideas with us. Your input is invaluable as we strive to create meaningful workshops that address the needs and concerns of our immigrant community.

Help us create workshops that can address your questions on immigration! It takes only 1-minute to add your voice.

Support for undocumented immigrants

Undocumented African immigrants and families have 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 undocumented 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.

our impact

Immigrants Supported

For legal immigration support to address barriers facing undocumented immigrants

$ 0

For Metro bus passes to facilitate access to transportation for new immigrants and their families.

$ 0

For job training to enhance career prospects and integration into the workforce

$ 0

For grocery cards to address food insecurity among those impacted by COVID-19

$ 0

What beneficiaries are saying...

"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 recently received help from the African Center support program for undocumented program. I have been here undocumented and I applied for asylum in 2014 just to help myself and my sick child who was born here and can’t afford to go back home. My child was born with a congenital heart defect. She has two major surgeries. Since then, I was advised by the doctor (that) she has to go under ongoing treatment every six months. I knew since then that sending her back home wasn’t the right place for her, for her own health and safety. I knew this was the place she was supposed to be. She was born here and lives here [...]".

"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).