Mayor's Office

While the COVID-19 pandemic has been hard for all of us, it has been particularly hard for immigrant families, as they face obstacles such as immigration status and lack of documentation that prevent or make it more difficult to access federal and state assistance. Since it is not uncommon for many of these individuals to work in the service industry, many may have also lost their jobs.

Thankfully, many organizations in our community have stepped up to help these families, and this week, the City is offering assistance as well. We are directing $150,000 to help meet basic needs such as rent, utilities, food, transportation and other household needs.

I welcome the involvement of our three community partners in this effort, the African Center for Community Development, to mainly support African Immigrant households, Freedom Inc. to support mainly Southeast Asian households and UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence on behalf of the Latinx Consortium for Action. This agency will mainly support Latinx households. Each of these agencies are being awarded $50,000 to utilize for this work and interested individuals and families can contact the agencies directly.

This effort is made possible by a Common Council vote last week to redirect City Emerging Opportunity Program funds to assist immigrant households in Madison as they deal with some of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. These families are often the individuals who fall through our safety net of services and I am glad the Council recognized that. I am grateful that Alders Bidar and Baldeh and the Community Services Committee partnered with me to make this assistance a reality.

We truly are all in this together, and this effort is just one way we are taking care of our whole community.

Use the contacts below for additional information and assistance.

Please note: UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence funding is specific and supports their current work with survivors and victims of domestic violence and human trafficking who are Madison residents.
Freedom Inc. funding will also support that organization's current work with survivors and victims of domestic violence and human trafficking.
Neither agency is able to support the general Latinx or Southeast Asian population with these limited funds.

Kabzuag Vaj – Freedom Inc.

kabvaj@freedom-inc.org

Veronica Figueroa – UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence

1-800-510-9195

Tunji Lesli – African Center for Community Development

tunjilesi@hotmail.com