About Us

One bag, one mat, one life at a time.

Bags to Beds GTA is a Toronto-based, youth-led charitable organization that transforms plastic bags into warm, waterproof, handwoven sleeping mats. These mats provide comfort, insulation, and dignity to individuals experiencing homelessness. Operated by passionate young people, we believe in the power of youth to drive meaningful change. Through our work, we are committed to developing leadership, environmental awareness, and social responsibility in the next generation of change-makers.

Our organization was born from a desire to address two urgent crises:

Homelessness

Homelessness can stem from many causes: job loss, mental health, the housing crisis, domestic abuse, refugee displacement, and more. In Toronto, over 15,000 people face homelessness, with that number rising to over 230,000 across Canada. Tragically, hundreds die in Toronto each year from exposure to the cold.

A story from our founder:

In recent years, especially in the wake of the pandemic, I began noticing more people living

on the streets as homelessness grew into a global crisis. Each time I passed someone sleeping

on a sidewalk, I felt a growing sense of helplessness. I didn’t think there was much I could do to

make a real difference until one night changed everything, when I went camping without a

sleeping mat. I was shocked by how quickly the cold seeped through the ground and into my

body. I had always assumed mats were only for comfort, but that night I realized that they

provide vital insulation against the cold. As I lay there shivering, the vivid images of people I had

passed on cold sidewalks came flooding back, and I couldn’t stop thinking about those in Toronto

who sleep outside every night, especially in the rain and freezing winters. That moment stayed

with me and became the spark behind Bags to Beds GTA, an organization that transforms plastic

waste into warm, waterproof sleeping mats for some of the most vulnerable members of our

community. As Bags to Beds GTA grows from one mat into a movement, it has only strengthened

my simple belief that community service can be joyful, meaningful, and unifying.

Matthew Tong

Founder & President

Environmental Waste

Globally, most of the world’s plastic goes directly to landfills. Even for the 9% that is supposedly recycled, much of it still finds its way to landfills. Plastic takes decades to degrade, and even then, it leaves behind microplastic particles that linger in the environment, threatening animal, plant and human health. Alarming new studies have even found microplastics in nearly every part of the human body, including the brain.

Faced with these challenges, we knew it was time to act. Every mat woven by our volunteers will offer someone in need a barrier against the cold, a bit of comfort, and the reminder that they have not been forgotten.

Join us in reimagining what’s possible. Together, we can turn waste into warmth, and quiet compassion into action.

Our Mission

To transform plastic waste into practical, life-improving solutions for people experiencing homelessness.

Our Vision

To build a future where no one sleeps without warmth, dignity, and care.

Our Values

Community
Ambition
Responsibility
Equality
Sustainability

Matthew Tong

Founder & President

Our Founder's Story

In recent years, especially in the wake of the pandemic, I began noticing more people living on the streets as homelessness grew into a global crisis. Each time I passed someone sleeping on a sidewalk, I felt a growing sense of helplessness. I didn’t think there was much I could do to make a real difference until one night changed everything.

While camping without a sleeping mat, I was shocked by how quickly the cold seeped through the ground and into my body. I had always assumed mats were only for comfort, but that night I realized that they provide vital insulation against the cold. As I lay there shivering, the vivid images of people I had passed on cold sidewalks came flooding back, and I couldn’t stop thinking about those in Toronto who sleep outside every night, especially in the rain and freezing winters.

That moment stayed with me and became the spark behind Bags to Beds GTA, an organization that transforms plastic waste into warm, waterproof sleeping mats for some of the most vulnerable members of our community. As Bags to Beds GTA grows from one mat into a movement, it has strengthened my simple belief that community service can be joyful, meaningful, and unifying.