What do you usually do with your empty chip bags?
I'm guessing you throw them away... which means they go into the landfill! These bags do not break down naturally, meaning they stick around forever in the piles of trash that are all around us.
This is a problem that Eradajere Oleita, a teacher from Detroit, has solved!
Eradajere started collecting chip bags to wash them and adhere them together to make sleeping bags for the homeless. What an amazing way to solve two very large problems at once! She has collected millions of bags to make and distribute them around Detroit. She has helped so many people stay warm (and ultimately alive) in the process.
Check out Eradajere's website and some stories about her here:
- Former Detroit teacher launches nonprofit turning used potato chip bags into sustainable gear
- Meet the Activist Turning Old Potato Chip Packets Into Sleeping Bags for Homeless People
You may be asking what this has to do with what is happening here in our community.
Sophia Miller (13) and her mom Annalicia Miller heard about what Eradajere Oleita was doing in Detroit and decided to do the same here in Colorado Springs. Sophia has wanted to take care of people in her community since she was 5 years old, from feeding the homeless to participating in every charitable event she could. So when she saw this project, she asked her mom to help her start doing the same thing. The Chip Up Project is a much more sustainable way to give back.
Annalicia has even talked to some unhoused people to ask how they felt about it. She has said the people she has talked to are excited about it as these blankets will be waterproof and lighter than normal blankets. We have a smaller population that will use these than they do in Detroit, but I believe that each and every person out there is someone we are responsible for as we have been put here to care for one another.
How can you help?
Annalicia and Sophia are looking for help with this endeavor in multiple ways. They are specifically looking for:
- Empty chip bags (any size or brand)
- Chip bag collection location volunteers
Current Drop Off Locations
- Omi's Alpenrose German Deli | 47 Widefield Blvd, Colorado Springs
- Stompin' Groundz | 2050 Jet Wing Dr., Colorado Springs
If you're a small local business that would like to help and become a drop off location, please email us.
