Here we go, more tales of the travelling 15th Anniversary Laundry Bags... Enjoy!

I have been sharing some of our volunteers’ stories and photos. This week I am changing it up to share some of our recipient stories, starting with Eamon who received his quilt in 2014 and went on to make sure that others who served with his also benefitted from our support.

"I joined the Australian Army at 17 in 2004. For most of my adult life, the Army has been my home. It is where I grew up, learned what service and mateship truly mean, and became the man I am today.

My experiences at home and on deployment have shaped me profoundly. Critically, they have also given me an extraordinary network of mates; remarkable men and women who've served Australia and who continue to enrich my life every day.

In 2014, while deployed to Afghanistan, an Aussie Hero Quilt arrived for me. It brought comfort, warmth and, maybe most importantlyy, colour to a place made up of many shades of brown. The lift it gave to the morale of everyone who received one was incredible.

My quilt still has pride of place on the spare bed at home, and it continues to mean a great deal to me.

When I deployed to Afghanistan again in 2020, I helped organise quilts for the soldiers on that trip. Once again, I saw the emotion they created. Knowing that a stranger back home cared enough to spend their time making a personalised quilt meant a huge amount, especially as we were overseas during COVID, and there was a lot of uncertainty at the time.

I will always be grateful to the volunteers of Aussie Hero Quilts for the care, generosity and connection they provided to us while we were serving far from home."

It was humbling to receive a message like this to go with photo of one of our 15^th Anniversary laundry bags. Fifteen years ago we never could have imagined just how much our quilts and laundry bags would mean to our recipients.

“Celebrating 15 incredible years of Aussie Hero Quilts (AHQ), this special anniversary laundry bag is more than just fabric — it’s a powerful symbol of gratitude, connection, and community across the ADF. Captured here with members from Air Force Headquarters and CASG, this uniquely signed laundry bag carries messages from ADF personnel, civilians, and families alike, each signature reflecting appreciation for the extraordinary volunteers behind AHQ. After a walk around Russell Offices to gather even more support, it was clear just how deeply these handmade quilts and laundry bags are valued — many have received them, many have heard the stories, and all were eager to say thank you. The Aussie Hero Quilts community continues to embody kindness, care, and dedication, creating deeply personal treasures that uplift and support those who serve.”

One of our lovely recipients from 2015 is up next with a special video to mark our 15th Anniversary.

Defence life, including deployments, requires many sacrifices, some obvious and some not so visible to civilians. Time away from families, missed occasions and opportunities. That is just one of the reasons that Aussie Hero Quilts exists; to remind our Australian Defence Force veterans that their sacrifice is seen and appreciated by more than their loved ones.

“A husband who was a grateful recipient on several occasions and a wife who joined the movement and made many quilts and laundry bags over several years. And a dog who never understood why the old man kept disappearing.“

It is hard to believe that it is more than 12 years since I first met Jaz and explained the story of Aussie Hero Quilts to her. So much has happened since then. “Hi, my name is Jaz, I served in the Army for over 20 years as a Combat Engineer Officer and I still to this day remember when I met Jan-Maree and learned all about the awesomeness of Aussie Hero Quilts. It was 2014 and I was welcoming home a group of my soldiers who had been overseas returning to RAAF Richmond Air Base. There, in the terminal, were some lovely young ladies getting a tour of the base. Jan-Maree was one of them. She told me all about the amazing work a group of volunteer quilters did making laundry bags and quits for serving members while they were away from home. I knew this was something my unit would benefit from as we had soldiers around the world all the time so from that day forward we were able to enjoy the spoils of the AHQ volunteers. It was important for me to include my two pups (Patsy and Eddie) in the photo as Aussie Hero Quilts has also made bespoke jackets for some of our furry service members who were also a part of our team. I now spend most of my days being a mum of two young children, two furry children, run a business and encourage young people to enjoy STEM careers. I still enjoy my quilt, and use my laundry bag on camping trips! Thank you to all the volunteers and supporters that make the magic of Aussie Hero Quilts work. As a fellow crafter I know the time and love that goes into making something for someone. It means so much you dedicate your time to make something for someone you don’t even know. What an honour we have to receive such beautiful quilts and bags. Congratulations on 15 years!”

This is an extra post that I just had to share here. Some of our bags ar incredibly well travelled!

Sometimes a civilian friend might ask me what service people use a laundry bag for. Sometimes we forget that not everyone travels for work like our defence folk can and do. I love seeing photos of our laundry bags and quilts “on duty”. This photo is a good example. And when I asked for a list of all the places this bag had been this might surprise some of you.

Iraq - Baghdad/Al Asad Air BaseUAE - Al Minhad Air BaseCanberra - RMC/ADFA/HMAS HarmanRockhampton, Shoalwater Bay - Camp Growl/Sams Hill/Camp Tilpal,TownsvilleBrisbane - Enoggera BarracksSydney - (Holsworthy Barracks, Randwick Barracks, HMAS Kuttabul, North Sydney - Mater Hospital, Concord Hospital, Macquarie Uni Hospital), HMAS Adelaide, Albury-Wodonga, Adelaide (RAAF Edinburgh), Wagga Wagga (Kapooka/RAAF Wagga), Williamtown, Lithgow (Marrangaroo Training Area), Gosford, Port Macquarie, Melbourne, US - Hawaii, Singapore, Singapore Solomon Islands Honiara

That is it for this week. Till next time... keep spreading the word and happy stitching!

Jan-Maree xx