![]() “Each handmade item and mat we make is a different work of art,” Farlow said. The group was recently featured during NBC12’s “ Acts of Kindness” segment. There seems to be no limit to what the Dorcas Daughters can make, or the people can they help. The garments go to children in countries where the church conducts mission work. Linda Capel-Galiber, Cami Rosu and MaryLou VanDyke sew garments from donated fabric. Soon, Dorcas will be gearing up to make all the components of the sustainable hygiene kits. While White and others work on mats and plarn, other women are sewing children’s shorts and dresses. “I learned how to do this from the other women,” she explained. White didn’t have a lot of crafting experience before joining the group. On a recent Thursday morning, she expertly works the plarn around wooden pegs, completing large sections of a blue, white and gray mat (keen observers will know what stores these bags came from!). Renee White calls the mat-making process therapeutic. Renee White works on a mat that will be donated to someone in need. Residents of local assisted living homes also collect bags and flatten bags for the group. We’ve even taught other church, community and school groups how to do it this way.”ĭorcas Daughters receives and repurposes bags from neighbors and friends. “It used to take three to four weeks to make a mat. “Once Terry made the peg looms, the process became much faster and much more consistent,” Farlow said. He learned how to make them from watching YouTube videos. The peg looms were handmade by Terry Biringer, the husband of Dorcas Daughter Dorothy Biringer. A third person then weaves the plarn onto a peg loom. Another ties the strips end to end, forming a large ball of plarn. One person flattens the bags and cuts them into 6-inch strips. Dorcas Daughters divvy up the work assembly-line style. The first step to crocheting with plastic bags is making what’s called “plarn,” or plastic yarn. Plarn is weaved on a peg loom to make large sleeping mats. Terry Biringer holds a ball of “plarn” he made from plastic bags. Making Sleeping Mats with Plarn and Peg Looms “They are turning everyday throw-away items into a significant benefit for many.” “This is a great example of ingenuity and kindness from these exceptional citizens,” said Cary Drane, a member of the CVWMA Board of Directors who represents Chesterfield County. It’s unclear how long plastic bags take to decompose, or if they ever do.ĭorcas Daughters are giving a second life to these problem plastics. Most community recycling programs don’t take them.ĬVWMA instructs people to return plastic bags to stores where they’re ultimately collected and recycled in a special program.Īs litter, plastic bags are lightweight and can easily blow into trees or water bodies where they harm wildlife. This is mainly because they tangle and jam up the machinery at the recycling facility in Chester. Plastic shopping bags bear the recycling symbol, but they are not accepted in CVWMA’s recycling program. Return them to retailers where they can be recycled through special programs. They don’t belong in your CVWMA container. All proceeds support mission work.ĭon’t be fooled by the recycling symbol on plastic bags. The group also crafts many other items that are sold locally. The last donation went to Cuba and before that sustainable hygiene kits went to Africa and Asia, with the purpose of keeping girls in school. The mats provide a cushion and waterproof barrier against the ground.ĭorcas Daughters produces about 60 mats per year.ĭresses, shorts and sustainable hygiene items sewn from donated fabric make their away around the world through missionaries. Local nonprofits in Virginia distribute the 6-foot mats to people sleeping on the streets. They sit together and talk while they work, and they know they’re helping people.” The ladies come each week for friendships and the fellowship. ![]() “We started in 2016 with just a handful of ladies,” said Deb Farlow, the group’s spokesperson. One of Dorcas Daughters’ handbags made from plastic bags.ĭorcas Daughters is named for a woman in the Bible who sewed clothing for people in need. They’re fueled by coffee and sweet treats, but mostly by the knowledge that they’re helping others. The Dorcas Daughters ministry at the West End Assembly of God are repurposing these plastic bags into mats, jump ropes, handbags and more.Įach Thursday, they meet at the Henrico County church to work on their creations. The ones we’ve been collecting for ages in our kitchens and garages. Would you believe that a cute and functional handbag could be made from. This Henrico Church Ministry Wants Your Plastic Grocery Bags (and Unused Fabric)ĭeb Farlow, left, greets Dorcas Daughters members at the West End Assembly of God during a Thursday gathering.
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