KITCHENER -- A group of local volunteers has put their crochet skills to work, creating sleeping mats for those in need.
Some residents at A Better Tent City are using them to line the floors and exteriors of their tiny homes.
"There's no ice, my floors are not cold," resident Bev said.
The mats are all made from grocery bags and handcrafted by volunteers.
"I thought this was an opportunity to use my crochet skills that I've newly acquired to do something good and make sleeping mats," volunteer Kathy Kibble said.
Kibble said she heard about the initiative, called Bags to Sleeping Mats, online and started a Facebook group. They want to help people experiencing homelessness and put single-use plastic bags to good use.
"We'll use our Facebook group as a means to reach out to people, asking who has plastic bags that they're willing to donate," she said.
Homeless advocate Nadine Green helped distribute the mats to people who could use them, including the residents of tiny homes at Lot 42.
"I think I gave out about six here, but the rest I gave out on the streets to people who are in tents and stuff," she said.
The mats provide an insulating layer between cold ground and the person's body.
"Even if it's a little wet, the mat takes up the water and it doesn't go on you," Green said.
