Imagine driving around waiting at a stop light and you see another homeless person holding a cardboard sign reading "homeless, in need of help" or "lost my house, anything helps". The tricky thing is that I always want to help but feel like giving them money isn't the solution.
I asked my self what I could do to help those people without giving them money, since it was impossible to know what they would end up spending it on.
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After doing some research and talking to my family I found out that all I needed was 1,000 plastic bags.
Yes, you read that right! Something great to give the homeless is mat made out of plastic bags!
Step 1: take one or two bags and fold them like a hot dog
Step 2: cut them where the handles are, fold in half again and cut into one inch pieces
Step 3: open two of the cut pieces and loop them together to make a not, continue this process for all of the one inch pieces
Step 4: Roll all the pieces on top of each other to create a ball of plastic bag.
Step 5: Make a single crochet (usually easiest using a j hook-first picture)
Step 6: Continue making a crochet until the mat is big enough for someone to lay on
Mats like these give homeless people something to put between them and the ground, making it easier for them to sleep, stay dry, or stay cool. You can even crochet a pocket into the mat that gives them somewhere to stuff clothes into to act like a pillow.
If you want to learn more there are hundreds of YouTube videos teaching how to make these easy mats that can have a huge impact on the homeless.
