Sleeping mat project keeps Brooklyn group busy

BROOKLYN — Bringing glory to God and helping those in need is something a group of Brooklyn woman have taken to heart.

Terri Possehn, along with her mother, Beverly McCammant, and friends, Beverly Kies and Lucy Axmear, have been gathering weekly at her brother’s shop in rural Malcom since June to cut, tie and weave sleeping mats using plastic shopping bags.

The group recently delivered 15-plus sleeping mats to the Bidwell Pantry in Des Moines. The pantry, which is located off S.E. 14th St., provides food, clothing and basic essentials to those in need.

There is also a child development center, new directions shelter and the home connection, which provides compassionate, life-changing assistance to families on a journey to self-sufficiency.

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“They serve 600 people a week with food, clothing, shelter and other services,” said Possehn.

The sleeping mats, which are about twin-mattress size, are handed out to the homeless. Possehn said the sleeping mats are water repellent, and they retain body heat.

The sleeping mat project came about earlier this year when the four women started a weekly card club. The group heard about the mats and went on a road trip to Midwest Missions of Iowa in Jefferson to learn more about the project and organization.

The organization has multiple missions, one of which is the sleeping mats outreach.

The project was a perfect fit for the group.

Possehn said Midwest Missions sent someone to Brooklyn to teach them how to make the sleeping mats.

“We have been figuring it out as we go,” said Possehn.

Since starting the project, the generosity of people has been overwhelming, Possehn said.

Even Possehn’s sister, Joan, who lives in Arizona, donated some shopping bags to the project. In fact, her donation was enough to make one entire sleeping mat.

Plastic bags from Indiana, Illinois, Nebraska, Kansas and a lot of towns in Iowa have also been donated to the group, which meets Wednesdays from 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Possehn said the biggest need right now is more hands on deck to keep the project going. Her hope is to purchase another loom and make it a traveling loom so others can get involved in the project.

Possehn said it takes four or five hours to make one mat. The process includes flatting out the shopping bags, folding them into threes, cutting off the end pieces and cutting the bags into pieces before tying them together.

“Basically, we are making thread and using a loom to weave it all together,” said Possehn.

Due to the varying sizes of bags, there is no way to tell how many plastic bags are in a sleeping mat, Possehn said.

The leftover scraps are saved and returned to Midwest Missions where they are recycled and used to make park benches.

To learn more, contact Possehn via email at: terriandpaul97@yahoo.com.

Possehn said this project is about doing God’s work and helping others.

“It’s an open mission for anyone who wants to join,” said Possehn. “There is something everyone can do.”