Mats for the Homeless
Jerry Lamprecht was raised during the Depression. His family struggled. For Christmas, each child got one gift, and it was usually handmade. They shared what little they had with neighbors.
“We were downtrodden, and that’s why I want to help people who don’t have anything,” he explains. “What happened during my childhood influences my behavior today.”
Reading an article, “Sleeping Mats for the Homeless” in Mature Living (February 2012), a quote caught his eye,” Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.” (Matt. 25:40)
Jerry decided to begin making mats made from plastic grocery bags for the homeless in the St. Louis area. He approached the SSNDs to whom he teaches exercise classes twice a week to help.
Sister Dorothy Venhaus collects plastic bags every weekend at St. Andrews church. It takes 900 grocery bags to produce one mat!
Sister Rebecca Gabe cuts the plastic bags into strips; 144 strips cut from 36 bags are turned into one ball that is used to knit or crochet mats the size of 30”x72”. It takes 11 balls to make one mat.
Sister Irene Kalapinski, 93 years old and legally blind, is working on knitting her fourth mat. It takes her about one month to complete a mat.
Sisters Dorothy, Judith Best and Beverly Reck have also helped in crocheting mats.
Sister Sharon Rose Terbrock, who was working at the central office of St. Vincent DePaul, took the first six completed mats to the homeless they were serving. Currently, the mats are brought to Sts. Peter & Paul.
As of this date, 40 mats have been made using 32,400 plastic grocery bags that would have otherwise gone into a landfill!
“The good Lord sent us to take care of the poor.” Jerry says. Since he has enlisted the help of the SSNDs, he spends ONLY about two hours a day on the homeless project. “My wife says it’s more.” Jerry smiles. “It’s getting easier, though, because I have more people, namely the sisters, who are involved.”
Top left: Jerry Lamprecht demonstates how the strips of plastic bags are tied together before they are wrapped into a ball.
Middle right: Sister Irene knitted this mat from plastic grocery bags. The maintenance staff created custom-made knitting needles for her to use on this project.
Lower left: Sister Rebecca (left) makes the balls, like balls of yarn, used to create these mats. Sister Dorothy shows the mat she is crocheting.
Adapted from an article by Eileen McGartland, RN, Wellness Coordinator at Sancta Maria in Ripa Campus
Photos by Linda Behrens