OTTAWA – What do you do with your milk bags? Do they have a use before going to the landfill? In the parish hall of All Saints, Greely about 1,500 milk bags are diverted from the landfill each Tuesday evening. They are woven into sleeping mats and sitting cushions, providing a bit of comfort and dryness to those living in difficult situations.
As of April, 319 large sleeping mats and 316 sitting cushions have been shared with outreach organizations in the Ottawa area. The agencies hand them out where needed.
On Tuesday evenings, about 15 people are in the hall, preparing or weaving the bags. “Tuesday evenings are filled with non-stop chatter, sharing, laughter and often support for one another,” writes Grace Jones. “Everyone is welcoming, non-judgemental and keen to reduce waste in the landfill and help others. Lifelong friendships have been made.”
The items make a difference, she writes. “Streetsmarts (an outreach organization) told us about giving a mat to someone who was so excited to go home, throw out his bed and replace it with a milk bag mat as his building was ridden with bedbugs and the bugs do not like plastic. Someone who received a mat from Ottawa Inner City Ministries told them: ‘I love this. It’s so warm. I won’t freeze tonight.’ The mats have also been seen lining a tent to provide some insulation from the cold. A mat was also given to someone who was newly housed but didn’t have a real bed yet.”
Perspective
Can you give one per cent more?