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Rita LaRosa Carioti of Southgate said each 3-by-6-foot mat keeps 650 to 700 plastic bags out of landfills.

“The benefit is extraordinary,” Carioti said. “If we can take plastic bags out of the landfill and make it purposeful, it’s win-win.”

Carioti, who has been married 38 years and is the mother of three, said she grew up in a “charitable family” in Wyandotte.

After leaving a job at a Taylor school, she started crocheting mats at her home and then considered how “much faster and better” it would be of there was a group of volunteers working together. Group meetings started at Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Lincoln Park. Now they meet in the basement of First Baptist Church of Wyandotte and seven other locations in the area.

“I think what pushed me to create a plarning group is that we all have talents and can use them,” Carioti said. “I loved to just be real crafty. It’s where my joy was. I know there is a lot of homelessness in the Detroit area. I volunteered for Christnet. I met homeless people that needed comfort. If we can do a little bit to bring warmth to them then it’s a win.”

She said the mats are comfortable, provide a barrier between the body and the ground and help retain body heat while sleeping. If they get dirty or muddy, they can be easily cleaned.

And bugs don’t seem to like the plastic.

The First Baptist group comes together from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursdays. Volunteers work as a production-line team in stations, starting with sorting plastic grocery bags by size and Color.

The body of each bag is cut into 3½-inch strips. The strips are cut into loops, which are strung together to make a plarn ball.

Using a size Q crochet hook, each member works to create a mat one at a time. Many members also work on their mats at home. The end result is a strong but lightweight, easy-to-carry mat that can be rolled up with a handle for transporting. The mats are stored at the church and delivered to various locations, many of which are documented on the We Are Plarners Facebook page.

Beneficiaries have included Wyandotte-based Downriver for Veterans, Wayneright Community Meals (Wyandotte Soup Kitchen), Crossroads of Michigan Detroit, All Saints in Pontiac, Capuchin Soup Kitchen, the Out-Wayne County Continuum of Care, Little Dresses for Africa and other locations.

In March, 300 mats were delivered to Motor City Mitten Mission. Mats also have been delivered to the Downriver elderly and have served as community service projects for Downriver youth.

Gathering together in one location has led to friendships and even counseling between one another. Patty Lennon of Taylor said she relied on the kindness of volunteers at her group at First Baptist after the passing of her husband Patrick two years ago.

“It’s actually been therapy for me,” said Lennon, who is in charge of flattening and sorting bags. “I have lupus and it keeps my hands moving and my mind active. I have met some beautiful people. We have become a little family.”

Lennon and Peggy Kanowski of Wyandotte were two of the original six volunteers in the group. Kanowski said she became a plarner after multiple sclerosis led to her losing her job as a respiratory therapist at Henry Ford Hospital’s main campus.

“Rita asked me if I wanted to come,” Kanowski said. “It became so much more than Plarning, it became family. This group has seen a lot of hardships. It turns into something bigger than volunteering.”

The sixth-anniversary party at First Baptist Church drew dozens of contributors who enjoyed food, beverages and each other’s company, while demonstrating to newcomers how plarning works. Lead Pastor Kenny Beasley said he is happy to host a group that makes such a difference.

“It’s amazing we’ve been together for six years,” Carioti said. “It has brought me so much joy. I think we have the best volunteers ever.”

Diane Slagle of Riverview said she was introduced to the group by a friend. “Honestly, I was overwhelmed by what I saw,” Slagle said. “By the time the meeting was over, I knew this was something I needed to do. A lot of the women here will tell you they came for the activity and became incredibly good friends. It’s like a therapy group. You get so much more than you bargained for when you work with a group that is for the greater good.”

Carioti said that while We Are Plarners has plenty of plastic bags, they always need volunteers. “Not all of us crochet,” she added. “You can always sort bags, cut bags or string them. If you crochet, that’s a plus.”

Meetings can be found almost every weekday. On Thursdays, plarners gather at First Baptist Church of Wyandotte, located at 1925 Ford Ave. (Northline Road), from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and at Atria Kinghaven Assisted Living at 14800 King Road in Riverview from 2:20 to 4:30 P.m.

Monday meetings are held from 6 to 8 p.m. at St. Joseph/St. Vincent Pallotti Parish at 344 Elm St. in Wyandotte. St. Cyprian Catholic Church at 13249 Pennsylvania Road in Riverview hosts meetings from 6 to 8 p.m. every other Tuesday. Other Tuesday meetings are held at St. Rock’s Catholic Church in Flat Rock and St. George Episcopal Church in Milford.

Additional meetings are held from 10 a.m. to noon the first and third Wednesdays of the month at Our Lady of the Woods at 21892 Gudith in Woodhaven and from 9:30 to 11:30.a.m. every Wednesday at the Ford Senior Center at 6750 Troy in Taylor.