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By Miriam Raftery
January 21, 2012 (Spring Valley) –More than 70 homeless people in San Diego have a clean, dry mat to sleep on – thanks to the tireless efforts of Wilma Groh.
The 89-year-old Spring Valley woman, who is nearly blind and suffers from arthritis, has trained volunteers to weave sleeping mats, hats, purses and other items from plasttic grocery bags. Her efforts have drawn local and national media attention—inspiring more people to get involved.
“She is an amazing person,” said Corey Robinson, co-owner of Cali-Comfort Restaurant and Sports Bar. Groh lives in a retirement home behind Cali’s—and each Tuesday, a room in the restaurant becomes a mini-factory. Here, Groh and her helpers, known as Wilma’s Wil-Mat Crochet Group, gather to produce new creations. Besides helping the homeless, their efforts also help keep plastic bags from ending up in landfills.
“It takes around 
500 bags to make one mat,” said Groh, a former truck driver. But first, the bags must be cut into strips, then connected to form “plarn,” or plastic yarn.
The idea for the project came from Groh’s daughter, Linda Wickstrom, who read about it online and thought her mother might enjoy it has a hobby. Groh, who has done knitting and crocheting in the past, soon exhibited a passion for the work. Nearly blind from macular degeneration, Groh she has to “feel every stitch,” according to a story published by Mount Helix Patch.
After mats for the homeless, the group branched out to also make other items: purses, hats, coasters and even custom projects. Some are offered for sale, with proceeds benefitting Storefront, an organization that helps homeless teens get off the streets.
She’s inspired a local church youth group to get involved at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church and teaches a monthly demonstration class at Foothills United Methodist Church. Local media, including Fox TV and Patch, have chronicled her efforts. Then on January 9, the national news website Huffington Post named Groh “Greatest Person of the Day.”
People can donate their plastic bags in a barrel at Cali Comfort. But the group’s biggest need is for more volunteers. You can sign up, too, through the group’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wilmas-Wil-Mat-Crochet-Group-Recycle-Re-Purpose-Service/169890726395064,
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