Last week, Together We Achieve (TWA) launched an emergency fundraiser to keep its food pantry open. The Cedar Rapids nonprofit had seen some of the funding it was counting on fall through, and was no longer able to restock the shelves and coolers at its pantry and community resources center (1150 27th Ave SW). Founder and Executive Director Raymond Siddell set a fundraising goal of $50,000 by Sept. 1, which he said would ensure TWA’s doors would stay open through the end of the year.
The response fell short of that goal, but more $44,000 was raised. TWA is still looking to finish out the fundraiser. As of Wednesday, the pantry still needed $5,180 to reach its goal, according to a TWA Facebook post. Information on how to donate is available on TWA’s site.
On Sunday, TWA and the Cedar Rapids Kernels are partnering for the Pitch Against Hunger food drive. TWA will be collecting “nonperishable food items — like canned vegetables, pasta, rice, and peanut butter” near the stadium’s Wall of Fame. Gates open at noon on Sunday, and the Kernels will take the field against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at 1 p.m.