Imagine the potential of positively impacting the environment while also helping those in need.
This concept has been transformed into reality by Shelby Tillema, a Lakewood High School senior who embarked on a unique endeavor to establish a club that benefits the environment and supports the homeless community.
In an interview with JPS-TV, Tillema revealed her inspiration came from the work of “Bev’s Bag Brigade,” a dedicated group of women who have been crafting “plarn” mats for the Volunteers of America since 2009.
These mats, skillfully crafted using crocheted plastic yarn, bring warmth and comfort to those in need.
Motivated by the profound impact of “Bev’s Bag Brigade,” the Lakewood’s Plarn Club was conceived, attracting high school students who shared the noble mission of transforming discarded plastic bags into purposeful creations.
Plastic bags can to our environment, with an astonishing estimate of 100 billion being used each year, taking more than 500 years to decompose in landfills, as reported by the Center for Biological Diversity.
An average American family consumes and accumulates over 1,500 plastic bags annually.
The Plarn Club has discovered an ingenious method to repurpose some of these plastic bags, harnessing their potential for a greater good.
As the afternoon arrives, students eagerly gather to initiate the transformative process of creating plarn mats.
Shelby, the club’s president and founder, shared her insights with JPS-TV, stating, “You take recycled plastic grocery bags or just any plastic bags and you cut them into strips, and you tie those strips together, and that makes this thing called plarn, plastic bag yarn.”
With careful dedication, the students employ their crochet skills to transform the plarn into remarkably comfortable sleeping mats.
These creations boast surprising softness, durability, and water-resistance, providing a vital refuge for those facing the adversity of homelessness.
Upon completion, the plarn sleeping mats find their purpose through donations to the Jeffco Action Center, a compassionate organization dedicated to serving the homeless population.
These mats are distributed at the center to needy individuals, offering them comfort and solace.
The members of the Plarn Club not only recognize the imperative of environmental preservation and embody a profound sense of compassion and solidarity with those who require support.
A single, cozy plarn sleeping mat possesses the power to make an indelible impact on the life of an individual experiencing homelessness.
It is indeed a testament to the club’s extraordinary mission that spending an afternoon recycling plastic bags, contributing to the betterment of the environment, creating beautiful and functional pieces, and extending a compassionate hand to those in need converge harmoniously in this incredible endeavor.
Shelby expressed her hope for other schools in Jeffco to emulate this inspiring initiative, stating, “It’d be awesome if other Jeffco schools imitated this idea.”
If you find yourself in the vicinity and possess spare plastic bags waiting to be repurposed, kindly spread the message and contribute to this remarkable cause.
Your involvement can make a significant difference in the environment and the lives of those who benefit from this.
Watch this heartwarming story in the video below!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
