Sharon Dempsey visited her local women’s shelter and found they are doing a great upliftment project for destitute women.
Edenvale, South Africa – Sharon Marshall Dempsey asked her local community group on Facebook to help women at their local shelter. The shelter launched a project using plastic bags; the bags are then used to make sleeping mats for destitute women.
The concept of these mats was first started in America by a woman who made them for charity. The idea has since gone viral globally and even popped up here in South Africa.
“Today I visited the shelter for abused women and children that I’m involved in through work. They have started an initiative whereby the ladies are being taught to weave mattresses for the destitute out of plastic bags. The benefits of this project are twofold – the ladies are being taught a skill and people on the street are being supplied with mattresses which are waterproof and light to carry around.
So if you have any plastic packets you’re not using, and you stay in the Edenvale area, please don’t throw them away. Instead, send me a message and I’ll make a plan to collect them. And if you don’t mind, please share my post – the more plastic packets, the more mattresses! Thanks” – Sharon Marshall Dempsey
The group came through, and Sharon was overwhelmed by all the offers to help the shelter collect plastic bags. She started making arrangements for a central drop-off zone. Sharon offered to collect all the plastic bag donations herself until a central location was found.
Thankfully, the Vivienne King of Flowers by Stems shop and the Gatti Ice Cream Factory Shop in Edenvale opened their doors to donors.
“If everyone follows through with their offer, we are going to make a HUGE impact on this initiative. Together we can make a significant difference!”
So if you are looking for an excellent reason to get rid of your plastic bags, you can assist Sharon. If you are not in the Edenvale area, perhaps the concept is something you can do for an organisation near you! Take a look at how to make a mat below.
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