Bags to Beds 2019 Fundraiser

Last winter, students at the University of Utah were devastated to learn that every year, over 100 people in Salt Lake City die due to exposure. With all of the community resources available, it didn't seem possible. However, all it takes is one cold night on a hard, frozen ground to change someone's life forever. A small group of students decided to find a way to help individuals experiencing homelessness, and founded Bags to Beds.

Bags to Beds is an aspiring non-profit designed by students at the University of Utah in October 2017. By collecting plastic grocery bags, cutting those bags into strips, tying the strips together into plarn (plastic yarn), we then crochet those bags to make sleeping mats like the one pictured above. These mats are then distributed to community members who spend winter nights on the cold ground, providing a resource in times of need from what was once trash.


This campaign will help our organization as we work towards 501c3 status and grow to new cities around the world. As of March, we now have excited volunteers in 10 states, Canada, and the UK! Feel free to contact us if you would like to start a chapter in your city. Plastic waste is prevalent in locations across the globe, and every city has citizens in need of insulation on cold nights. 


We need your help to fund our process! Every $10 donation can fund the training of a new volunteer from start to finish, and every $200 donation helps us start a chapter in a new city! If you are inspired by our project and have the means, every dollar you chose to give will reduce waste and change a life. For those who cannot, we also accept donations of crochet hooks and can send directions to those who would like to donate time!

Read more about us here:
Bennion Center Blog 
KSL News Segment 
Deseret News