Happy Wednesday Friends!

A wonderful collection of gratitude letters.

So, grab a nice warm cuppa or cold drink (depending on where you live!), sit back and relax while you soak up some well-deserved gratitude!

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Dear Toni D,

I wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank you for the beautiful laundry bag you made for me while I was deployed in the Sinai.

When I received it, I was genuinely overwhelmed. It’s so much more than I ever expected. The care, thought, and personal touches you’ve put into it make it incredibly special. It’s obvious that this wasn’t just something you made, it was something you created with kindness and heart.

Being away from home can be challenging, and receiving something so personal brought a real sense of comfort and connection. It reminded me that there are people thinking of us and supporting us, even from far away. That means more than I can adequately express.

This laundry bag will always be something I treasure. It’s not only beautifully made but also carries memories of my time in the Sinai and the generosity of someone who took the time to do something truly meaningful for another person.

Thank you for your generosity, your talent, and your thoughtfulness. Please know that your gift has made a lasting impact, and I will always be grateful for it.

With my sincere thanks and warmest regards,

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Hi Philomena H,

I’m reaching out to express my heartfelt gratitude for your efforts in making the groovy laundry bag which I’ve just received.

I appreciate not just the bag itself, but your story too so I thought I’d take the opportunity to share a bit of mine.

I grew up in India until I was five, then moved to Melbourne, where I lived for four years. After that came four years in Sydney and five in Perth. I call Perth home as it’s where most of my family still live and where most of my memories are.

I joined the ADF straight out of high school, not only to work unique and interning capabilities, but also to give back to the country that has given me such a breadth of opportunity.

I completed my military training and studies at ADFA in Canberra. In the four years of postings since graduating, my Defence career has taken me to Switzerland, South Carolina, Alaska, and now the Middle East along with countless trips within Australia.

Being away so much is both challenging and rewarding, but there are certainly times when you miss home. A small token like a custom laundry bag from people back home means more than you might think, and is truly appreciated.

The team here will be sending some pretty cool photos of everyone rocking their laundry bags through to Aussie Hero Quilts, keep an eye out!

Cheerio,

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Dear Cath and Jan-Maree (and Kerry B),

I recently received my beautiful quilt and wanted to reach out to say a huge thank you.

I honestly don’t think I have the words to properly express how much it meant to me. The quilt is absolutely stunning and so clearly reflects the time, skill, care and love that went into making it. Receiving something so thoughtful was incredibly moving, especially after a deployment that was, difficult, scary and at times quite lonely.

Please pass on my heartfelt thanks to everyone involved, from the volunteer quilters to the people behind the scenes who organise and distribute everything. I know you’re very aware of the impact your organisation has and the difference it makes in people’s lives, but I don’t think the full impact can always be seen from the other side. For me, it was far greater than realised. It arrived on a particular day when I was really struggling, and opening it completely uplifted me. In an instant, it lifted my spirits and reminded me that there are genuinely kind and generous people in the world who give their time and talents simply to make someone else’s day, and life, brighter.

I’ve also written to my quilter, Kerry B, to let her know how much I love it. It was exactly what I asked for, but even better than I imagined it would be.

Another lovely part of your service was seeing some of my comrades receive and open their quilts and laundry bags as well. It was wonderful seeing their reactions as they opened them. You could immediately see how much these gifts meant and the joy they brought.

Thank you again for the wonderful work you do and for the difference you make in so many lives. I still can’t get over how beautiful my quilt is – it belongs in a show or competition somewhere!

I know this quilt will become one of those special family treasures, carrying memories and meaning for generations to come.

With heartfelt thanks

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Good afternoon Clarissa L,

Thank you so much for the laundry bag.

Thank you for sharing with me your story about your involvement in the ‘hero quilts’ program and letting me know a bit about you and your family. As strange as it may sound, it is comforting to receive any correspondence from home, whether it be from family or in this case, someone who I have never met! Your description of your home life has painted a vivid picture for me, and it certainly sounds very pleasant.

It was a shame to see the Aussie sides stumble through the Super Rugby season but I’m keeping everything crossed that the Wallabies will do well throughout July. I hope you managed to get tickets to the Ireland game! I’ll be cheering the boys on from over here.

Thank you again for your kind words, well wishes and prayers. It sincerely means more to me than you realise. I wish you and your family all the best.

Kind regards,

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Good evening Cheryl F,

I got the laundry bag a couple days ago couldn’t be more happy with it thank you very much for the thought and time put in.

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Good Evening Jan-Maree,

Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into making us these lovely laundry bags they are going to help us out immensely while away here on deployment.

Thank you,

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Good afternoon Bridget R,

I am writing to thank you for the wonderful quilt you made for me!

It was presented to me today at my farewell presentation, as tomorrow is my very last day in the Air Force after 21 years of service.

I have spent most of my Air Force career with postings to Canberra, Wagga Wagga, Newcastle, and Adelaide across the past two decades. I also deployed on Operation ACCORDION in the Middle East 8 years ago and served on an American Air Base there. I have really loved my time in the RAAF. I am ok with it after the great career I’ve had wearing blue.

The quilt is amazing and my whole family loved it when I showed it to them, so thank you again for the time and effort you put into it.

It has arrived just in time, as I think we could use an extra layer on our bed at night at the moment. We live in NSW just across the border from Canberra and the winters get very frosty here.

My wife and I live here with our kids and our two nine year old cats. I’m particularly fond of gardening and spend a lot of my time tending to the plants. I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family and working on projects around the home.

What an incredible life you must have had being a nurse for 40 years! That’s a truly amazing achievement. My older sister is a nurse in the Navy and her daughter has just moved to my area to study nursing at the University of Canberra. It is a profession close to my heart and I understand the demanding nature of it and the special people who are able to dedicate themselves to the care of others.

Thank you once again for the beautiful quilt, and I look forward to enjoying it for the years to come.

All my sincere best wishes,

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Dear Philomena,

I hope this email finds you well.

I’m writing to express my gratitude in receiving your Aussie Hero Quilt Laundry Bag while on deployment. While unfortunately I can’t send you a photo at this stage, I picked your coffee themed bag.

This is my first deployment and honestly, I had no idea what Aussie Hero Quilts was about until now. After reading your letter and the one from Jan-Maree, I’m am truly grateful for the time and effort you put into making these items. Due to receiving only four days’ notice of this deployment I was unable to travel home to see my family before my departure, however you laundry bag was a great reminder of home and my Mum absolutely loves it…. to the point I think she may pinch it when I see her next.

Thank you again!

Kind regards,

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I met some of your volunteers at the recent quilting show in Sydney and I said my son had on of your quilts.

I have attached photos of a quilt and laundry bag that my son was given while overseas with RAAF in 2018.

He has moved around for work after leaving RAAF and the quilt is always the first thing packed to go with him. He has asked that I send his thanks as well. He said it was a wonderful thing to receive and he is very grateful to the person who made it.

Thank you again

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Dear Jenny N,

Writing to thank you for the beautiful laundry bags you made for me and my colleagues. It was a great improvement over my old boring one! I will use it on every future deployment of mine.

Please also thank Howard for his efforts, it is always a team effort!

It is great to hear there is such strong military history within your family. Their service and sacrifice are in my thoughts.

My father was also in the Air Force and I’m incredibly proud to serve my nation like him, which is why I was very quick to grab the bag you had made as it has the Australian flag as well as Uluru on it! It is a great symbol to see every day.

I am currently at the halfway point of my time in the Middle East. I am excited to return home to my fiancé!

Thank you again, Jenny.

All the best,

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Cheers Catherine D

Until next week keep your letters, emails and photos coming in. Wednesdays would be so totally boring without them!

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