ORLANDO, Fla. — Donna Smith’s day job is an artist.

But on the third Friday of every month in downtown Orlando, she meets her friends in the gymnasium of the Salvation Army.

Their mission: to make sleeping mats for the homeless out of everyday plastic shopping bags.

"You can see it on your drive here," Donna Smith said recently. "There's someone sleeping that is wet at night, and these are going to keep them dry. Some of them are children, which really tugs at my heart strings."

Each mat is made up of about 600 bags and takes about two to three days to make. Smith says they weave them either crochet style or with a simple weave pattern. It’s the coming together of unlikely allies that she enjoys seeing help make the entire community a better place.

"I’m putting Publix next to Winn-Dixie, and CVS next to Walgreens," she says, describing the process of weaving stores' bags together. "Walmart, and Marshalls, and Home Depot with Lowe's, and all of the sudden, before you know it, they have weaved something really great."

The Salvation Army has become well known for bell-ringing and collecting money for those in need around the holidays, but the idea of this becoming a new nationally known staple for the Salvation Army?

"Wow, that would be awesome," Smith said with excitement. 

It’s an idea Smith hopes comes to fruition.

"If we can fill this whole table of people weaving and cutting, that would be wonderful."

If you would like more information on how you can donate bags or help make the mats, you can contact Lenora Sherman at 407-832-8508 or email Lenora.Sherman@uss.salvationarmy.org.

And if you know somebody in your community you think should be an Everyday Hero, nominate them. Head to http://www.mynews13.com/everydayhero.