If you ever go to the land fill site, the fence line is often covered with plastic grocery bags that the wind has picked up; and just as likely you will find a few blowing along the streets of your community.
Well, a new and very practical use has been found for them, sleeping mats for the homeless, or you can make one for yourself to take to the beach. How does this come about? By gathering a lot of bags, cutting them very carefully, making them into a plastic yarn, and getting a whole bunch of volunteers of all ages who like to crochet .
This has been going on at Elkhorn school with staff members, students, parent volunteers, and several ladies at the local seniors lodge. The driving force are Lil Jackson and Elkhorn School secretary Marsie Rowan; who got some students involved after school that then spread to the seniors home. Marcie pointed out that it takes up to 500 bags to make a sleeping mat, after the bags are cut in a special way and the time depends on the crocheting skills of the volunteer.. Some of the volunteers get fancy by using only certain colored plastic bags to make unique designs.
The sleep mats are about six feet long and three feet wide, and roll up into a neat , light, and compact bundle. But wait, there is more good news, the mats fit into the school’s sustainable development education program. The bags do not end up in the local land fill site, and best of all, they are going to a good cause.
When the local groups finishes 20 of them ,they are being take down to Saliom Mission in Winnipeg, where they will be given out free to those in need. The group said they can use all the bags they can get; and hope that the project will spread to other communities and schools in the Westman and eastern Saskatchewan areas.
In closing Marsie said, "We really appreciate the efforts of all our volunteers and those who donate bags. Perhaps, these sleeping mats will make someone out there who is in need life a little bit better; since no one chooses to be or want to be homeless.”
