Open Doors for Refugees
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Open Doors for Refugees
@odfr.org
39 followers 8 following 190 posts
Open Doors for Refugees is a volunteer-driven organization whose mission is to help refugees make a home in the Madison, WI, area.

Check us out at odfr.org
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odfr.org
Save the Date: Our annual potluck picnic will be on June 21st next year.
Because of the construction happening near the usual location, this year's event will be at the Elver Park Pavilion!
November 22, 2025 at 12:41 AM
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Miss our newsletter? Check it out here and sign up to receive the next one:
odfr.org/newsletters/
November 21, 2025 at 12:29 AM
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We had amazing time at our Thanksgiving event, thanks to food, live music and roughly 140 people showing!

Thank you to our many volunteers! You make all this possible!

Here are some photos we'd like to share from the event.

More Photos in the reply
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8 adults and 1 child sitting around a lunch table each with a plate packed with Thanksgiving style food. on the table additionally is a blue table cloth bread basket and a toy red car and yellow bulldozer. A desert table with 4 pies (2 pumpkin, 1 apple, and 1 cherry), a plate of sticky buns, 4 plates of a rounded ring shaped baked desert, a tray of brownies and blondies, a tray of chocolate cookies (milk and white) and two fun sized packs of M&Ms. A desert table with 3 pumpkin 1 apple pie, fruit cake and 7 fun sized packs of M&Ms. The table has a 4 color striped table cloth and three flower vases filled with purple and yellow flowers on it. 4 men playing music at Open Doors Thanksgiving event. 3 sitting and 1 standing 2 of them playing keyboards, 1 singing, and the 4th appearing to just be vibing. 1 large speaker stands between the men playing keyboards.
November 20, 2025 at 8:05 PM
odfr.org
In case you didn't know, we have a special newsletter that goes out every 2 months.
Our next newsletter is coming out soon!
Sign up and check out some of our previous newsletters here: odfr.org/newsletters/
November 15, 2025 at 2:56 PM
odfr.org
We'd like to share some recent photos from a move-in we did for a family supported by Centro Hispano. We furnished the place and provided essential supplies right as one of the new tenants was arriving.

We hope this allowed them to spend more time and resources to settle in to their new home!
November 14, 2025 at 3:09 PM
odfr.org
Traditionally, Open Doors for Refugees provides furniture and supplies for newly arrived families. When they first arrive at their new home, it has already been furnished for them.

With the continued unlawful pause of the United States Refugee Assistance Program, we’ve partnered with
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A fully furnished den / living room and dining room. Complete with a full sized cough and love seat adorned with throw pills and teddy bears, 3 end tables and 2 lamps upon them. A throw rug in the middle of the den. In the dining room a table set for 4, chairs and plates, can be seen with a vase of flowers in the middle of said table.
November 12, 2025 at 9:50 PM
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We're very thankful for people like Tom, who take the time and effort to educate and inspire. And we look forward to seeing him again next year when the market opens back up! (2/2)
November 8, 2025 at 9:46 PM
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A big thanks to Tom and his partner for sticking it out in the cold this morning and many Saturdays prior to advocate for immigrants at the Farmers Market at the Capitol square!
Materials he shared include information for Open Doors for Refugees, Voces de la Frontera, and CILC. (1/2)
November 8, 2025 at 9:46 PM
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The health department for Madison and Dane County put out a guide in October for food resources: publichealthmdc.com/documents/fo...

La guía de recursos alimentarios en español: publichealthmdc.com/documents/fo...
November 7, 2025 at 2:54 AM
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If you're looking for a family friendly to-do around the holidays, on December 20th, Open Doors for Refugees will be among the beneficiaries of this play. Tickets are available now.
www.tickettailor.com/events/nutkr...
A big thank-you to Beatrix Productions for putting this together!
Select tickets – NutKracken 2: Christmas Island! – Wisconsin Masonic Center
NutKracken 2: Christmas Island! – Wisconsin Masonic Center, Sat Dec 20, 2025 - Join us for an all-new, all-ages show set under the sea, featuring all your favorite Nutcracker music, bright silly costu...
www.tickettailor.com
November 5, 2025 at 1:47 AM
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A big thank-you goes to the Sun Prairie United Methodist Church for donating blankets, sheets, throws, and pillows! These go a long way.

See the latest needs here: odfr.org/contribute-f...
November 3, 2025 at 6:47 PM
odfr.org
Open Doors for Refugees strongly condemns the Trump Administration’s decision to slash the number of refugees allowed into the United States from 125,000 to just 7,500, a figure far below historic norms at a time when the global refugee population is at a record high.

A full statement is attached.
Open Doors for Refugees Condemns Drastic Cuts to U.S. Refugee Admissions Madison, WI - Open Doors for Refugees strongly condemns the Trump Administration’s decision to slash the number of refugees allowed into the United States from 125,000 to just 7,500, a figure far below historic norms at a time when the global refugee population is at a record high. Also alarming is the administration’s reported plan to reserve the majority of those limited slots for white Afrikaner South Africans. Such actions represent an abandonment of the United States’ longstanding humanitarian commitments and will leave tens of thousands of refugees who have already completed years of vetting, background checks, and interviews, stranded in unsafe and under-resourced camps around the world. “At Open Doors, we believe that refugees make good neighbors,” said Jason Mack, Executive Director of Open Doors for Refugees. “The United States was built by immigrants and refugees, and these policies are not only cruel and self-defeating, they are fundamentally un-American.” Open Doors for Refugees remains steadfast in its mission to welcome and support refugee families in Madison. Even as national policies turn away those in need, Open Doors will continue working to ensure that refugees already here can thrive and that the Madison area remains a community defined by compassion and opportunity.
November 1, 2025 at 12:41 AM
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We met so many great people at the Resistance Fair last Saturday! A big thanks to Arboretum Cohousing for hosting.

By the way, Voces de la Frontera is fundraising to support their bilingual emergency hotline. vdlf.org
Keep this number on-hand - label it in your phone! +1 (800)-427-0213
October 31, 2025 at 3:00 AM
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Are you looking for a way to help Open Doors help people?
Do you have experience in Project Coordination?

Well, good news! Open Doors is looking for a Project Coordinator for a 6 month contract position from Jan - June 2026.

Details:
opendoorsforrefugees.org/now-hiring-o...
Office chair and desk adorned with a laptop, tea cup, tea cup saucer, picture of a young girl riding a bike in a beige/gray frame, an open not book, and a set of flowers in a vase/jar with writing on it (not legible). All in a gray/beige color scheme.
October 29, 2025 at 8:48 PM
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This page has been updated with some details regarding SNAP (FoodShare) benefits with the current shut down: www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/foodshare/in...
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FoodShare: A Recipe for Good Health
In Wisconsin, we call our food stamp program FoodShare. Our goal is to make it easy for you choose healthy foods.
www.dhs.wisconsin.gov
October 25, 2025 at 3:46 PM
odfr.org
Our friends over at CommUnity Yoga Hub are excited that their regular yoga offerings are returning in just a few weeks!

On Saturday, November 15 from 10AM to Noon they will host a donation-based gentle yoga!

All proceeds going to Community Immigration Law Center
More details: communityyogahub.com
October 22, 2025 at 11:50 PM
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Thanks to everyone who joined us earlier this month at the Forward Madison game! We met new people, sold out of tickets, and had a great time letting people know about our cause.
October 22, 2025 at 2:36 AM
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The Community Sponsorship Hub is starting a program to cover tuition costs for people aged 18-30 who have arrived here with refugee status since 2021.
It sounds like this comes along with mentorship, case management, and ongoing support.

Details: communitysponsorshiphub.org/campus/
Campus | Community Sponsorship Hub
Too often, structural barriers and a lack of resources, information, and targeted support prevent qualified and ambitious students of refugee background from pursuing an undergraduate degree at a U.S....
communitysponsorshiphub.org
October 21, 2025 at 12:34 AM
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Roughly 20,000 people marched for the No Kings protest here in Madison!
The right to protest only exists so long as it's used. Thanks to all who made it out.
wisconsinexaminer.com/2025/10/18/b...
October 19, 2025 at 2:14 PM
odfr.org
Attending tomorrow's protests and looking for more ways to give back to the community?
Here are three ways we could use your support:
- Volunteer with Open Doors: odfr.org/volunteer
- Financial Support: odfr.org/donate
- Furniture Donations: odfr.org/contribute-f...
October 17, 2025 at 6:45 PM
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New polling has come out recently showing strong support for a national refugee program. This support comes amidst the largest rollback of refugee admissions this country has ever seen.
For more details and related polling questions: www.dataforprogress.org/blog/2025/10...
A Strong Majority of Voters Continue to Back the U.S. Refugee Program Amid Serious Threats to the Program
This survey shows voters continue to show openness toward accepting individuals who are seeking safety in the United States.
www.dataforprogress.org
October 16, 2025 at 5:14 PM
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No Thrones.
No Crowns.
No Kings.

Exercise your right to free speech while fighting for others' right to do the same!

Everyone can contribute even if it's just being there!

Save the date 10.18.25

Full info here: badgercollective.net/no-kings
Person holding a no crowns flag infront of a red background covered in the words defy. The text There shall be no kings and the website for the protest "Nokingsmadison.com". The date of of the even 10.18.25 Madison.WI
October 15, 2025 at 11:52 PM
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The African Center for Community Development is organizing Know Your Rights Immigration Workshops to inform community members about their rights and what they need to do.

Join tomorrow's workshop over Zoom on Sunday, October 12th at 2pm.
Zoom link: bit.ly/3VQ564l
October 11, 2025 at 2:56 PM
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Today was mental health day. When you have time this weekend, take a moment to breathe and reflect on ways we can better our community.
October 11, 2025 at 2:33 AM
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This Saturday, October 11th, please join us for an evening of soccer and community at the Forward Madison Soccer match.

Tickets purchased here support Open Doors for Refugees: odfr.org/tickets
October 6, 2025 at 10:29 PM