Volunteers with the Kamloops Homeless Mat Project, John and Jay, are seen packing up a shipment of sleeping mats made from plastic shopping bags, March 20, 2022. The shipment will go to refugees from the war in Ukraine.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Shar Froese
March 21, 2022 - 7:00 PM
A tightly-wrapped pallet of sleeping mats made from repurposed plastic bags has left Kamloops for Ukraine.
The mats are made of hundreds of plastic bags crocheted together by volunteers with the Kamloops Homeless Mat Project.
“They are clean and washable, and will at least help keep people off the cold ground,” coordinator Shar Froese said. “They will last forever.”
Froese and her team have been making the mats since 2016 and giving them to people living on the street. They have also donated the mats to a variety of surrounding communities during times of hardship, and with more spare mats in storage than usual, it was an easy decision to send them overseas.
READ MORE: How a Kamloops woman is helping comfort the homeless and keeping plastic out of the landfill
“Due to Kamloops being able to help so many of our homeless sleep indoors because of our cold weather, we ended up with extra mats,” Froese said. “We sent 56 adult mats plus eight for small children to Victoria to be shipped out.”
It takes approximately 700 bags and 35 hours to make an adult mat and 300 bags for a smaller one. The mats will be received at Compassionate Resource Warehouse and sent to Ukraine from there.
Froese said it takes the collaborative effort of many in the community to collect enough bags for the project to keep going.
“Individuals, businesses, schools and grocery stores continue to make donations,” she said. We are getting close to reaching 400 adult mats made to date. The people who have helped us out in this town is mind boggling.”
READ MORE: Ukrainian refugees speak of bombs, half-empty cities, hunger
Froese said the bag supply is getting low and all help is appreciated.
You can connect with Kamloops Homeless Mat Project here.
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