CRESTVIEW — Not all people crochet sweaters or fuzzy socks. Some Northwest Florida residents use plastic bags to make sleeping mats for the homeless.
Debbie Barberee organized a group of volunteers to do just that about three months ago after visiting Tennessee, where she met a group crocheting shopping bags into mats. She decided to bring the practice to DeFuniak Springs.
Completed mats are 3 feet wide, 6 feet long and require about 700 bags to make. Barberee and the volunteers have made about 10 so far, but their goal is 213 by October. Police agencies in Crestview, DeFuniak Springs, Fort Walton Beach and Niceville will receive the mats for distribution to the homeless.
The mats are soft to the touch and can be washed using a hose. The design also features a handle and tie straps, allowing people to roll and carry them.
Volunteers need 150,000 bags to meet their goal; "It's a big goal but once the word gets out more, we should be able to do it," Barberee said.
seven area locations are designated drop spots for people to recycle their plastic bags. In addition to personal donations, businesses also have provided bags.
Barberee’s Facebook page to raise awareness for the effort has about 250 members, and she has found volunteers beyond social media. Walton High School, for example, collects the bags and some students assist in the assembly for community service. Area Girl Scouts have also helped make the mats.
So, how does a plastic bag used for groceries and shopping sprees become a soft sleeping mat?
The process starts by straightening the bags and laying them out. Volunteers then cut the bags into strips and connect them to make a long, single strand. These strands are rolled into a ball, called a 'plarn', and resemble a regular ball of yarn. From there, the bags are crocheted into a completed mat.
Barberee has been crocheting since she was 10 years old — and now offers instructional videos on YouTube — but volunteers needn’t be skilled crocheters to join the action; they don’t even have to crochet. Help is also needed for collecting, cutting, attaching and rolling the bags before they are assembled into the final product.
Somebody in the group can teach anyone wanting to learn how to crochet, Barberee said.
A group that crochets plastic shopping bags into sleeping mats for the homeless has four weekly meetings:
Mondays: 10 a.m. at Hardee’s in Fort Walton Beach
Tuesdays (except the second Tuesday): 10 a.m. at Hardee’s in Crestview
Wednesdays: 11 a.m. at Pizza Hut in DeFuniak Springs
Second Tuesday of the month: 8 a.m. at Mossy Head Community Center
Most meetings last about two hours, but volunteers can come and go as they please. The Mossy Head meeting lasts until 3 p.m.
Visit www.facebook.com/groups/CrochetedMatsForHomeless for more information on the group, volunteering and how to donate.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crocheting for the homeless