RICHMOND, Va. — At Hathaway Tower in Richmond, Peggy Westlake and friends Brenda and Frances have been meeting every week for two and a half years to weave plastic bags into mats for the homeless.
The trio has turned an environmental concern into a mission of compassion, transforming hundreds of plastic bags that would otherwise end up in landfills.
"I saw a lot of plastic bags in the trash, and it just bothered me, our use of plastic, and it just goes right in the trash and doesn't disintegrate it just turns into microplastics, which we can't even see anymore, and it ends up in our bodies our food, everywhere," Peggy said.
She found inspiration online for her eco-friendly project.
"I went on YouTube, you can learn anything on YouTube. People doing amazing things with plastic. And, I saw people were making sleeping mats, and I thought, that's what I want to do, because it serves a greater purpose."
Each team member has a specific role in the production process.
Brenda prepares the bags for weaving.
"Yesterday, I must have worked maybe three, four hours, just sitting on the sofa," Brenda said.
Then Frances and Peggy weave them into colorful patterns on looms that Peggy crafted herself from recycled picture frames and wood.
The process is labor-intensive – each mat requires between 700 and 900 plastic bags and comes complete with a carrying strap.
When Karen Anderson met Peggy at a craft event, she was immediately impressed by the project.
"I was just so impressed, so impressed. That's why I thought of you all, and thought that would be worthy, you know, worthy topic," Karen said.
She reached out to CBS 6, which led to a surprise visit to honor Peggy's efforts.
"We do something throughout the year called CBS 6 Gives. People in our community nominate amazing people in our community who are doing wonderful things and we get to share what they're doing, and we get to give them a little gift," I said during the surprise visit. "So we are here to honor you and share your project on the news so that maybe we can find some more weavers."
While the women receive plenty of plastic bags from neighbors in their 14-story community, what they really need are more people willing to weave. Peggy is eager to teach individuals or groups interested in learning the craft.
"I'm amazed. I'm very thankful. The Gift cards are amazing. Our supplies are free. I work with another organization who actually distributes the bag the mats for me, and it's Backpacks for the Homeless RVA, and they are very hands on organization," she said. "So I think that's what I would like to do with it, but I'm really thankful for that, and I know they will be, too."
If you are interested in learning how to weave these special mats, Julie can put you in touch with Peggy. Email her at julie.bragg@wtvr.com.
CBS 6 Gives is made possible by Virginia Credit Union. Have an idea about who we should surprise next,
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This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
