MIn the heart of Minneapolis lies a neighborhood often overlooked by those outside its
borders, yet it pulses with resilience, culture, and the kind of human potential that can
change the world. This is Cedar Riverside. And at the center of it stands a beacon of hope:
The Riverside Plaza Tenants Association (RPTA).
For nearly four decades, RPTA has been more than a nonprofit. It’s been the steady hand
guiding thousands of immigrants and refugees, many arriving with little more than
courage, toward lives filled with purpose, self-reliance, and dignity. Our community is
home to over 5,000 people, most of them East African, many of them living below the
poverty line. But poverty is not the defining feature here. It is possibility. It is promise.
When a young mother walks into our center, unsure of how to navigate a healthcare
system in a language she doesn't speak, we help her find care, and find her voice.
When a teenager, the child of refugees, falls behind in school after years of interrupted
education, we offer tutoring, mentorship, and a second chance.
When a father who once worked in a war-torn country dreams of building a career in IT or
healthcare, we put the tools in his hands. And we stand beside him, until he walks
through the doors of Cisco, or Abbott, or 3M, not as a client, but as a professional.
When a high school dropout picks up a hammer for the first time in our YouthBuild
program, he is building more than affordable housing, he is building a future that once felt
impossible.
This is impact. This is RPTA.
And yet, as we speak, programs that change lives hang in the balance. Workforce training
that pulls families out of poverty. After-school enrichment that keeps kids safe and
inspired. English and citizenship classes that empower our elders to contribute and
belong. These are not luxuries. These are lifelines. And they are at risk.
The state of government funding is uncertain. Grants are scarce. The competition is fierce.
But the need? It has never been greater.
RPTA has quietly built one of the most comprehensive, culturally competent, and
community-rooted support systems in Minnesota. We are not an outsider charity. We are
the community. Many of our staff grew up in the same towers. We speak their
languages. We share their stories. That is why our programs work. That is why our alumni
don’t just get jobs, they change their family’s entire trajectory.
But now, we must do something bold. We must rise to a new level of sustainability. To
continue our mission, and grow it, we are seeking partners who believe not just in
charity, but in equity, opportunity, and transformation. We are asking you to invest, not
in an idea, but in people. In outcomes you can see. In futures you can shape.
But this is more than numbers. This is about choosing to believe in a community that has
so often been told “no”, and saying “yes.” Yes to education. Yes to jobs. Yes to safety,
mentorship, and belonging.
Yes to Riverside Plaza.
Let us show the world what happens when a neighborhood is not left behind, but lifted up.
Stand with us. Walk with us. Invest in us.
Because when Riverside Plaza thrives, Cedar Riverside thrives. And when Cedar
Riverside thrives, it becomes a shining example of what inclusive, community-driven
progress truly looks like.
We’ve done so much with so little. Imagine what we could do with your support.

All donations will go directly towards our programs and operations.

RPTA: A Community Rising