Weekly Dispatches 23 September 16

 Before I show you the wonderful quilts and laundry bags that headed off this week, I thought you might like to see a couple of presentations that happened yesterday. 

Earlier in the year I went out to the airport to meet Padre Andrew and farewell him on his way to deployment in Kabul.  That was when he showed me the photo of the chapel in Kabul which lead to us making the seven colourful Chapel Quilts.  

Today he came home from that deployment and I had offered to come out and meet him again.  As it happened Channel 10 had sent a crew to Afghanistan and they had see our Chapel Quilts whilst there (soooo jealous!!!)  Padre Andrew had told them about how the quilts were in the back of my car when the house burned down and how the defence members had set about raising funds as a result. The end result was the story on the Channel 10 News tonight which you may have seen (if not you can see it here).  

Just a small point of clarification re the news article.... at one point Amanda said that much of the items in our rental home were paid for from the funds raised. Just to clarify, many of the items we use for Aussie Heroes were paid for by the funds raised, but not things needed by my family. In fact I could not have diverted funds from family needs to pay for things for Aussie Heroes like storage etc. 

This is the presentation that Padre Andrew carried in his hand luggage all the way from Kabul .... a beautiful framed certificate of appreciation from the Brigadier in charge of Task Group Afghanistan - Kabul during Operation Highroad. 

It reads

"With sincere thanks for you and your team's tireless effort and valuable role in providing support to our deployed members of the Australian Defence Force."

The certificate was accompanied by a cheque for $500 which was raised and donated to Aussie Heroes. 

Huge thank you to all of our deployed members on Operation Highroad in Kabul.  That is just wonderful. 

I am glad to say that the chaplain was not the only one with surprises.  I had also carried a parcel all the way from home .... obviously not as far as the Padre had but still.....  I was able to present this wonderful quilt made by Lisa N.   I won't tell you too much about it as there is quite a good story about it and I want to wait till I have all the details to go along with it. A couple of weeks and I will write a good post about it.  Suffice to say though, that Padre Andrew had quite a grin on his face about it!  Job well done Lisa!!!  Oh, and he loved the other goodies you included too!

So far for 2016 we have sent off 2253 laundry bags 

which brings us to a total of  10,070 since we started...

and...

We have also sent 1076 quilts 

bringing our total since we started to over 6327 quilts

Alison F 

Anna 

 April  

Bev C 

  

BOMs put together by Kay D 

BOMs put together by Margaret A and Anne Mac

Bridget

Carla 

Christine C 

Di R and co....

BOMs put together by Jeanette G 

Diann

Inge

BOMs put together by Janet H 

Janet H 

BOMs from Jean B quilted by Anne B and bound by Nola W

Jenny W

Joan 

Joanne M 

Joy H 

Lisa N 

  

  

Louise T and the Dolphin Quilters

Lynn, quilted by Leonie and bound by Julie Ann

Maree J 

Mary

Michelle W

NOTY and finished by Lisa N 

Pennie

Philomena

Raeleen

I have lost my records of who created this quilt top but Lisa N completed it.

Rita M 

Robyn H 

Sandy 

Sue N 

Sue S 

Sue P (QLD)

Thelma

Val A 

Val Ma

Till next time..... keep spreading the word and happy stitching!

Jan-Maree  xx