Grati-Tuesday 11 Oct 16

Our first batch of 60 laundry bags made it to the West this week for one of our Submarine crews.  They have all been delighted to be "recognised" as one of them put it, for their service by receiving one of our laundry bags. I am now working on collecting enough laundry bags to send some more over to them.  If you send laundry bags to me these are the sorts of people they go to.... members who are working very hard and are often away in jobs that do not attract an AFPO address and who we can often not reach via our normal methods. There are jobs like this in all three of our services.

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Hi Jan

I'm visiting my daughter here in the West, she returned from deployment last Saturday and I was there with her 2 year old to greet her as she stepped off her submarine.

Yesterday she came home from work and said guess what we got today, laundry bags from Aussie Heros, she was so excited with her choice. They were supposed to take delivery of them during their time away, but these things happen.

The photo is her with her gifted laundry bag made by Carol from Dubbo and the quilt I made for her a few years ago, before I heard of Aussie Heros. Thanks Jan for you and your team from my daughter and me, 

Cheers Sue

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Hi Janet H,

Thank you for the quilt i love it so much.  I have been in the Navy for 3 years the first year was training, last year i spend the majority of it on deployment and this year i am on this current deployment. it does get hard sometimes being away from home and missing all your loved ones so it was really amazing when i received the parcel with the quilt in it and thank you for the colouring book its fun to do in my off time and all the girls in my mess and I enjoyed the timtams very much. It is great knowing there are people out there such as yourself thinking about us whilst we are away.

Very many thanks

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Jean, 

I would like to thank you very much for the lovely laundry bag.  It will be well used over the coming months that I have left over here.

We all appreciate the work you all do in getting these bags and quilts done for us.

Thanks again,

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Gday Jean

   I hope this finds you well. I would like to thank you for your effort and time for making my laundry bag. It looks amazing. 

 I have been in the navy now for over 20 years. And like you, I love to travel and being in the navy helps me to continue to travel around the world. I have been to Africa also and really enjoyed it. I have been married now for 13yrs and I have three kids- 2 girls and a boy. The time away does take its toll on the kids and my wife. My beautiful wife is very understanding(I know this is the only reason she is still with me).

Once again I would like to thank you for your time, patience and effort for making the laundry bag, it was very well received.

Stay safe and thank you

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Hello Granny Smith,

Thank you so much for the quilt.  It is not actually for me, but for my wife.

She is a big fan.  This is her first deployment.  Our first anniversary was only two weeks after I left Australia and it has been hard on her.  We seem to spend more time apart than we do together.

We met overseas a few years ago while I was on a working holiday, and I decided to bring her home with me.

However we were separated for over a year due to immigration. 

Following this we then spent about ten months together before I left again for seven months.

It has been quite rough on her and I wanted to give her something nice.

There will also be some jewellery, but nothing quite beats how nice a handmade gift is.

Congratulations on your 50^th wedding anniversary, I hope that my wife and I can make it as far.

I hope this letter finds you well.

Thanks for the effort you are putting into Aussie Hero Quilts.  It is appreciated and brings many smiles to the faces of Soldiers when they open their packages and find such high quality items.

Your selfless volunteering of your time brings warmth to our hearts.

Regards,

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Dear Jenny

Thank you very much for taking the time to make me a laundry bag, and for researching the Essendon Football Club. It was nice to receive while I was away.

I must apologise for the delay in writing to you. I have been back home for a couple of months now but have somehow lost track of time and getting back into the swing of things. But I did want to send you a quick note to thank you for your generosity.

I can certainly relate to changes in weather!, at the time your package arrived it was regularly in the mid-40 degree Celsius range, standing in the sun with the wind was only bearable for short periods of time. Being back in NSW for the end of winter has been quite the contrast.

The laundry bag you made was incredibly useful and I am grateful to the hero quilt people based around the country. Your time and generosity is very much appreciated and your packages when they arrive make everyone smile. The fact that went on to look into my football club was above and beyond, hopefully this will be a good omen for the team’s success next year.

Wishing you and your family all the best for the remainder of 2016.

Thank you again.

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Hi Helen,

Just wanted to express my sincere appreciation for the laundry bag recently recieved. We have just returned from 5 Months away so good to be back on home soil.

Thanks for the great job you do, it will certainly be put to good use

Much appreciated
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Dear Pam,

Thank You so much for your lovely artistic laundry bag which I received from our Chaplain. (Indigenous dot style with the Sydney opera house)
We really do appreciate the time you have taken to make these for us and the letters sent along with them. Its the little things like this that make being away from home a little more comforting.

Many thanks,
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Kia Ora Sue,

Firstly, Thank you!! I am a now the proud owner of an amazing quilt you crafted as part of the Aussie Heroes quilt organisation.
I have been meaning to write to you since I received the quilt about 3 weeks ago. The end quilt is amazing and has been displayed proudly on my bed ever since.

A little about myself. As you guessed in your card,  I am a Kiwi. I grew up in the Palmerston North, Home of the Manawatu Turbos.
Now I am a Chiefs supporter, but follow rugby though at every level all the way to the All Blacks.
I joined the New Zealand Navy after finishing High School in 2011. I am currently halfway though what will be about a 4 year exchange with the Australian Navy.
I am in the Navigation Role of the Navy and will be on my final Navigation course in Sydney next year before returning to the Australian fleet for consolidation.
My Partner (also a kiwi), moved to Perth with me last year and now has a really good job as a nurse in Fremantle. Both of us are really happy living in Australia.

Again, Thanks for the time and love you put into my quilt. 
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Till next time..... keep spreading the word and happy stitching!

Jan-Maree xx