BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.2.3.1//EN TZID:America/Chicago X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/Chicago BEGIN:VEVENT UID:468@kicmke.org DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250326T153000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250326T173000 DTSTAMP:20250301T011619Z URL:https://kicmke.org/events/creating-sleeping-mats-for-the-homeless-marc h-2025/ SUMMARY:Creating Sleeping Mats for the Homeless DESCRIPTION:REGISTER HERE\nHelp our neighbors struggling with housing insec urity and help the environment at the same time! Keep plastic grocery bags out of the landfill by converting them into a plastic yarn called “plar n” used by Mercy Mats of West Allis to crochet cushy sleeping mats\, whi ch will be distributed by Repairers of the Breach - Milwaukee’s only day time homeless resource center.\nIt usually takes 500-700 plastic bags and about 700 hours to make one 3x6 foot sleeping mat. Last year\, Mercy Mats West Allis completed and delivered 170 mats. But\, don’t worry! We are o nly asking you to spend a couple of hours converting the bags into “plar n.” This is a great project for the whole family!\nThe mats are lightwei ght\, portable\, easy to clean\, and offer a great barrier between the gro und and the body to help retain body heat while sleeping outdoors. Staying warm can be the difference between life and death in Wisconsin’s climat e. They are also frequently used at warming shelters.\n\nActivities\nWe’ ll teach you everything you need to know about folding\, cutting\, and kno tting plastic bags together. There is a job for everyone! The youngest kid s can flatten the bags out\, fold them\, and roll the plarn into balls. Sl ightly older kids can connect the loops and the older kids can do the cutt ing!\n\nImpact\nChildren will see firsthand how to reuse trash and turn it into something useful! They will also learn teamwork skills as they work together as a family towards a common goal. The finished mats are a huge s upport to individuals struggling with housing insecurity and the programs that are working to help them secure stable housing.\n\nWhen &\; Where\ nWednesday\, March 26 from 3:30-5:30 p.m.\n**If you cannot stay the entire time\, no problem! Just send an email to erin@kicmke.org and let me know when you will be able to arrive!\nWest Allis Library - Constitution Room\n 7421 W National Ave\nWest Allis\, WI 53214\n\nRegistration Information\nPa rticipant Cap: 12 volunteers\nAge: All ages welcome!\nCost: Free\nMaterial s: Bring some plastic grocery bags with you! Collect and bring plastic bag s from your own grocery runs and from friends and neighbors (must be clean and smoke-free) and/or pick up additional plastic bags from one of the bi ns at your nearest grocery store. Just note that thicker Sendiks-style bag s cannot be used.\nQuestions: Please contact erinlemoine@kicmke.org with a ny questions.\nCancellations: We count on our registered volunteers to mak e these projects come to life. However\, we understand illness and emergen cies do come up so if you can no longer participate\, please email erin@ki cmke.org  ASAP so we can fill your spot.\n\nOur Partner\nSince 2016 Mercy Mats West Allis has made 800+ mats keeping 560\,000 plastic bags out of l andfills! Learn more about Mercy Mats from this Fox6 segment and on their Facebook page. ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kicmke.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Cr eating-Sleeping-Mats-for-the-Homeless.png CATEGORIES:Children and Families END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Chicago X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Chicago BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20250309T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR