Seniors turn plastic into mats for homeless

The most simple of plastic disposable bags is of utmost importance to 94-year-old Helen Cachur because it is the source of "plarn," or plastic yarn.

With strips of plarn made from colorful plastic bags - yellow from Forever 21, gray from Wal-Mart - she and five friends weave together intricate waterproof mats for the homeless. They have done this for the past five years in the little haven of an activity room at the Village at Victory Lake's Senior Living Facility in Lindenhurst.

They work seven days a week, about four to five hours a day.

"We're happy that we're doing something constructive for other people," Cachur said.

The group functions very efficiently, making one 3-foot-by-6-foot mat in around 30 to 50 hours.

Joan Dickie is the group's main crocheter. She helps bring the mats to life with deft hands. The other women contribute by cutting plastic bags into thin flat strips and rolling them into usable balls of plarn.

"We all do all of it, except some of the crocheting," said Ethel Jennrich, 89. "We just like being all together and it makes you feel good."

Since the start of the mat weaving project, the group has donated more than 200 mats to the homeless. The mats are distributed through Chicago PADS or New Life for Old Bags, an organization that distributes the mats in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood. Homeless individuals can then sleep on the mats rather than the hard concrete of the streets.

The group also occasionally sells the mats and donates the profits to One Hope United in Lake Villa, an organization that offers counseling and intervention services for children and their families.

Five years ago, Cathy Reilly, Victory Lake's former activities director, brought the project to the facility's life enrichment program. Many of the same faces have been part of the activity since the start.

It has become the core of their lives in retirement.

"They don't participate in a lot of other activities," said Rebecca Rivera, Victory Lake's life enrichment manager. "With them, this is what they do. This is their retirement life. I think that they do it because they like to give and know that they're helping somebody."

Because of their dedication to the activity, the women have become famous at Village of Victory Lakes. Staff members come from all departments of the facility to donate plastic bags to this small, tight-knit community, passionate about helping others and about spending time with each other.

"We get together to talk and discuss other things as well," said Lois Ann Stoy, 87. "It gives us a sense of togetherness."