At The Mats Project’s Sunday meetup at Centennial Hills Library, about a dozen volunteers gleefully convert plastic bags into “plarn.” They take scissors to donated, defective bags, cutting them into strips and looping them together to make a continuous string, which can then be used to create 6-by-3-foot sleeping mats.
The initiative of the nonprofit Crochet Class (crochetclass.org) donates the mats to Shine A Light Foundation, which distributes them to the unhoused in the Valley. Founder Merri Medley says The Mats Project didn’t start with any seed money. It all started with teaching people to crochet.
“I did some research and found that crochet has a lot of health benefits. It’s almost like a type of therapy. It engages both the right and left hemispheres of the brain when you’re counting stitches, changing colors, those types of activities—especially for seniors, helps keep us mentally sharp and helps our focus,” Medley says.
A select number of volunteers know how to crochet mats and can teach any volunteers who want to learn. In addition to crochet, the nonprofit recently developed a peg loom for weaving. The materials were purchased with proceeds from a $3,000 donation from the local culinary event Vegas Unstripped.
The loom has tripled the nonprofit’s productivity threshold, Medley says, adding that, as of June, the Mats Project has already donated 140 mats to the homeless and their “fur babies.”
At Centennial Hills Library, crocheting or weaving mats is “not hard labor,” says one volunteer. It’s an opportunity to socialize and make a difference in someone’s day.
“We donate drawstring bags filled with everyday essentials, including a little note to recipients to remind them they are loved, they do matter and they are valued,” Medley says. “When we go out and distribute them, I notice that they read the note first. They don’t just dive into the kit and look for the food items. They immediately read the note. That just touches your heart.”
THE MATS PROJECT Find volunteer event dates and locations at crochetclass.org/the-mats-project, opens a new window