Friends Helping Friends Foundation "Every Cat Deserves a Mat" Fundraiser Provides Pet Beds for 150 Local Shelter Animals

The Friends Helping Friends Foundation’s “Every Cat Deserves a Mat” fundraiser will be providing Cedar Rapids Animal Care and Control with 150 pet beds for the cats and kittens at the shelter.  The pet beds will be delivered to the shelter on Friday afternoon. 

According to Diane Webber, retired Program Manager at Cedar Rapids Animal Care and Control and a member of the Friends Helping Friends Board of Directors, “Fleece cat beds (or mats) are very comfortable and warm, and cats enjoy snuggling into them.  So this year, Friends Helping Friends Foundation of Cedar Rapids partnered with The Dostal House, a local organization of women supporting and encouraging other women in business, to fund and collect materials to make the mats.   JOANN Fabrics and Crafts chipped in as well with a discount given on the polar fleece and thread to make the mats.  Vicki Thompson, a thoughtful, cat-loving volunteer, cut and sewed each new mat together so all the beds could be donated to the shelter just in time for the holiday season.” 

The polar fleece is durable, soft and easy to wash.  It also comes in a variety of fun, playful and colorful patterns to brighten up the temporary cat caging at the Cedar Rapids Animal Care and Control shelter, giving the shelter a more inviting environment to encourage pet adoptions.   The shelter can house over 150 cats, and the laundry machine is continuously running throughout the day. These durable mats provided through this fundraiser will last about a year.

For more information about Friends Helping Friends Foundation of Cedar Rapids, to get involved, or donate online, visit www.crfriendsfoundation.org.

About Friends Helping Friends Foundation of Cedar Rapids

The Friends Helping Friends Foundation is a local, non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and expanding the programs and activities of Cedar Rapids Animal Care and Control. The Foundation organizes and executes strategic fundraising events with the hopes of reaching, education, and engaging the community to ensure the welfare of pets and animals in Cedar Rapids. 

Visit the Friends Helping Friends Foundation of Cedar Rapids website for more information on getting involved and donating to the cause.

About Cedar Rapids Animal Care & Control 

The shelter is located 7241 Washington View Parkway SW on the Kirkwood College Campus directly behind Washington Hall.  You can view a list of the many wonderful pets available for adoption by visiting our PetFinder website at http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/IA125.html.  Shelter hours are Monday-Saturday, Noon to 5:00 p.m.   The shelter can be reached by calling (319) 286-5993.