Photos

St. John Brebeuf students weave mats for homeless

Students at St. John Brebeuf School in Niles, in sixth through eighth grade, assemble parts to make mats and pillows for homeless people on May 5, 2021. The students used donated grocery bags to weave the mats and pillows. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
Teacher Rebecca Giannelli and eighth grader Anthony S. roll mats with attached handles. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
Jami D. folds a donated grocery bag that she will cut into pieces that will be used to make yarn for a mat. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
Kaitlyn A. and Nathan S. fold donated grocery bags that they will cut into pieces that will be used to make yarn for a mat. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
Brian T. cuts a folded bag. The students created an assembly line process to make the mats. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
Eighth graders Mia G. and Kamila L. weave a mat made of plastic bags for people experiencing homelessness on May 5 at St. John Brebeuf School in Niles. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
Eighth graders Mason A. and Nicholas M. weave the bags on a small loom. They then will attach the woven portion to other pieces and weave them together to make a full-sized mat. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
The students have become so adept at weaving the bags that they include patterns in the mats and even know which bags from certain stores make the best yarn. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
Ramsen Y. ties cut bags together to make yarn. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
Eighth graders Isabella A. and Alyssa J. weave the plastic yarn on the loom. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
Abby W. ties cut bags together to make yarn for the mats and pillows. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
Teacher Linda Kelm, Lilly K. and Addison G. collect scraps from cut bags that will be used as stuffing for pillows. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)

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