Got plastic bags and time on your hands? A local Facebook group is in need of both to help support the homeless with sleeping mats.
Annette Graydon is one of the administrators for Bags to Sleeping Mats Fergus/Guelph, which aims to provide sleeping mats made of outer milk bags or plastic grocery bags to individuals who are homeless, and charities supporting the homeless.
She explains their work is part of a bigger movement involving other groups across the province, as it is relatively safe activity to participate in during the pandemic.
“They have been around for a really long time,” explains Graydon about the practice of making plastic sleeping mats, “There is a lot of information online about how to make them.”
The way it works is the plastic bags are cut into two inch strips, which are then looped together to make a plastic yarn called ‘plarn.’ The plarn is then woven into a mat using a homemade loom or a crochet hook.
Graydon says it takes 500 outer milk bags to create 20 rolls of plarn, enough to make one three-by-six foot sleeping mat for an adult. With a large population of residents without shelter, she adds the need is there for sleeping mats.
“The mats are really good for sleeping on the ground,” she says, “Or even if you’re in a shelter situation, where you are not comfortable with the bedding you have been provided.”
“There are lots and lots of applications for them.”
While these mats can help reduce single-use plastic waste, she adds the mats can take a lot of work to make.
“It’s hard on your hands to crochet plastic,” Graydon explains, “It’s a very physical activity.”
Since starting in January, the group has 212 members and has given over 50 sleeping mats to the Guelph Community Health Centre and The Bench.
Graydon joined the group after it was organized by Lisa Mia, and quickly became an administrator. Within the group, Graydon does behind the scenes work to organize materials and speak with organizations who are looking for sleeping mats. She also keeps all donated materials in the garage at her home in Guelph for volunteers to pick-up or drop-off.
“I’m just a drop-off zone,” she jokes.
Prior to this, Graydon worked throughout her 30s, 40s and 50s with a church group who supported international endeavours, including the production of sleeping mats out of plastic bags.
“I do believe in the,‘think globally, act locally’ philosophy,” says Graydon about her interest in this initiative, “I decided a while ago to turn my focus back into the community that I live in.”
Since moving to Guelph three years ago from Georgetown, Graydon says she has been impressed with how willing residents are to help each other.
“It’s really not hard to start a community-based grassroots anything here,” she commented, “Because people are just so eager to help, it’s very heartwarming.”
Although there are many individuals who have donated to their group, there are only a few volunteers who actually turn those bags into plarn, and even less people who make the mats.
“I would really like more people who turn the bags into the plarn, turn the plarn into mats, and the big, big thing is, who needs the mats,” Graydon continues, “Because having a garage full of mats is not the idea.”
With their current momentum, Graydon says they are also looking for other organizations within Guelph and Fergus that will also accept sleeping mats.
“I would love to know if there are some other places where these mats can go too,” she says, “We have the capacity to make lots, but the thing is, where do they go?"
Anyone who is interested in donating milk bags or plastic bags, the bags must be cleaned and flattened prior to being dropped off. Those who are interested in helping make some sleeping mats, video tutorials have been created and uploaded into the Facebook group.
To learn more about Bags to sleeping mats Fergus/Guelph, check out their Facebook page.
