Mondays 10AM to 12PM
Every Monday, a team of volunteers gathers at St Andrews, Pickering Village, to make milk bags into bed mats for 3rd world children. Add your milk bags to the collection box in the Amberlea lobby. Contact Lynda Burke for details.
My name is Lynda Burke, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been kind enough to donation non-biodegradable milk bags. This is an important project that provides sleeping mats for children. This mission is organized through “CANADIDAN FOOD FOR CHILDREN”, located in south Etobicoke.
Every Monday, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, there is a group of people that meet at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Pickering Village. There is much work to do to complete one mat. There is a group that cleans and flattens the bags; the Cutter that cuts the bags in threes: I belong to the Loopers (making chains of 6 and 9; finally, we are at the last group, the Weavers. When a mat is taken off the loom, there is a noise that is likely heard all over Ajax.
This then is the perfect gift for a young child: a dry sleeping mat. And as you may be aware, a healthier mat to sleep on. These mats are made with love from our group and provide a dry mate to sleep on. Also, pillows are made from remnants of the bags. But we have fun. One of the best happenings of this group is the social atmosphere. We get to know one another and enjoy a breaktime with coffee, tea and delicious treats.
Here are some statistics regarding what we have shipping to Third World countries as of December 31, 2025: 449 Mats, 70 Pillows, 225 Knitted Dolls, 30 Knitted Blankets. These items were sent to the following countries: El Salvadore, Zimbabwe, and Peru, to name a few. Many mats are provided for the Toronto Homeless, and a charity in Durham Region “Backdoor Mission”.
The Mat Making Group collects mats from the Blaisdale Montessori School, J. Walker in Oshawa, and Carion Fenn Long Term Care Facility which is part of the Lakeridge Health at Ajax/Pickering Hospital. Interested groups come and are shown what takes place and are willing to participate on their own with one or two looms.
One young girls’ group is CGIT (Canadian Girls in Training), and they receive a “Environmental Badge”. This is an incentive for young people. This is a two-fold project: we eliminate plastic bags going to the Landfill Sites and provide a dry sleeping mat.
Also, throughout the year we collect boots, shoes, sandals, eyeglasses, medical supplies (crutches, gauze, bandages) to name a few. And these items are destined for a particular project.
Here is my contact info: Email Address is: mlyndaburke54@gmail.com. My cell number is: 905-626-1719.
I am pleased to talk to anyone if you have any questions.