Here is a good example of where some of our quilts and bags go....

This last week or so has been a good example of the reach we have within our Defence family and I thought I would share what we have achieved. 

I publish the Weekly Dispatches post every Friday with the help of Sandy from Coffs Harbour but what you don't know when you see the pictures of the quilts is where they all end up. 

This week we sent off 31 quilts and 47 laundry bags. 

Not all of them head off overseas to deployed personnel. 
As well as the quilts and laundry bags shown on the blog, other quilts headed off, photos of which did not make it on to the blog last week. Some of those quilts and bags have important jobs to do back here.  

In the last ten days or so we have sent off a bunch of quilts and laundry bags for special purposes and I thought I would share what I can of some of those stories just to give you an insight into the depth and bredth of our reach and how we care for our defence family. 

As you know, if you read or blog or follow our Facebook page, on Friday 7th Feb I had the privilege of presenting laundry bags to the members of the Japanese Air Self-Defence Force who came to Australia to assist with Operation Bushfire Assist.

Whilst talking to defence members I heard of a serving member who had suffered a heart attack that day. Last week a quilt was collected by a member of his quadron and will be presented to him, if it hasn't been already. 

On Wednesday 12th of February, a team from the Personnel Support Unit at HMAS Kuttabul visited Aussie Heroes HQ as they do every month.  After a presentation on what we do they rolled up their sleeves and got busy. 

They packed up the following:

Four quilts for the sickbay on board HMAS Hobart to make the bunks more welcoming and comfortable for any members required to stay there while ill at sea.

70 Laundry bags for new members of the HMAS Hobart who had posted in since we delivered LBs to them in December last year.

One quilt with an RAN Crest on it to go to serving member seriously injured in a freak accident.  The recipient received it on Friday and she wrote "Your quilt is absolutely beautiful & brightens up my hospital room & I’m very thankful for the hours upon hours you have put in to create this quilt.  Your quilt keeps me warm at just the right temperature! My mum quilts so I know just how much effort you put into this quilt."

Seven quilts to go to two families of veterans who lost everything in the bushfires

and finally, 

Six quilts and six laundry bags to go to a team who have been working very hard in difficult circumstances, whose morale was understandably low, and who need to know that their service is most definitely acknowledged and appreciated. 

We are often sending quilts off for compassionate or special reasons and often I don't have time to write a blog post about it or the stories are too personal.  This week I decided that our volunteers needed to know what we have been up to. I dont nornallt write a blog post on Sundays as I sew but today I made an exception. 

We really do have the best volunteers!

Thanks to all of you who have made this week and all our weeks possible. 

Great job team.

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

Jan-Maree xx