MADISON, Wis.— Local resettlement groups are looking to help Afghan refugees fleeing unrest in their native country find peace in various communities around Wisconsin.

In fact, some of them have already been helping refugees find Wisconsin homes for years.

What You Need To Know

  • As Fort McCoy prepares to take in up to 13,000 Afghan refugees, local groups are planning to provide their services to help

  • Jewish Social Services in Madison provides housing for refugees but orginially budgeted for 100 individuals for the next fiscal year

  • Open Doors for Refugees helps furnish new homes for refugees and recently decorated its 50th home

The Madison police department teamed up with two organizations that resettle refugees to put on an event to establish a relationship with the refugees they help. 

Open Doors for Refugees and a unit of Jewish Social Services, better known as JSS, helped host the First Responders Meet and Greet event. Open Doors is an all-volunteer group that provides supplemental support for immigrants. JSS is a social services organization that provides resettlement services. 

Even the youngest people in attendance had a good time. 

“You got me,” said one officer as a young refugee child from Africa playfully slapped handcuffs around his wrists. 

These first responders said they were doing their part to welcome these new Wisconsinites. A few members of the force and the city’s fire and emergency services hung out with dozens more local kids who came to the state just a few years ago.

“Coming from other places, the relationship between them and the police is much worse in some of these countries,” said officer Lucien Senatus of the Madsion police department.

“It's really important to have both groups of people know who the other are and get more empathy towards them and maybe even better understanding,” said Becky Wennlund, events organizer for Open Doors for Refugees. “And being able to work with each other in a productive positive way dispels a lot of fears.”

Some of those helping the new arrivals are former refugees themselves, like Gilbertine Harerimana, who fled the African nation of Malawi three years ago.

“Here in Madison, I’m helping other people, especially the new people coming, if they struggle with how to communicate, how to pass through all their children,” she said.

The meet and greet was just one of two recent events organized by Open Doors and JSS. The second, just days later, celebrated a big milestone: Open Doors furnished its 50th home for settled refugees.

It was a point of pride for one of Open Doors’ founders, serving as a reminder of the good work they've done, and what they hope to continue to do.

“God knows what will happen if we start to see a big influx Afghan refugees arriving here in close proximity to each other,” said Ken Baun. “But, for now we continue with what we have. We've got resources that we can devote to the Afghan crisis.”

JSS is also gearing up to do more. 

JSS leaders said their help for the Afghan refugees is in addition to the resettlement assistance they’re providing to other immigrant groups.

“We have a stated capacity of 100 individuals for the year starting in October,” said Becca Schwartz, Jewish Social Services resettlement director. “That’s what we were planning for and it’s looking like we would need to do more on top of that.”

How many more people may need their help is unclear but it may end up being a lot. As many as 13,000 evacuees from Afghanistan could eventually be brought to Fort McCoy for resettlement in the U.S. 

Despite the impending influx of needs, the two groups said they’re grateful for the growing number of volunteers in Wisconsin who are signing up and rising to the challenge to help them.