Grati-Tuesday 05 May 2020

Hi team!

It's that time of the week again, the thank you letters are coming in thick and fast and there are some cracking ones this week. 

If you ever need reassuring about how much our serving personal love and appreciate getting their Laundry Bags and Quilts. Then some of the letters in the below will do the trick!

Welcome to May and hopefully (!!) the continuing flatting of the Curve! 

Keep up the great work team.

.........

Dear Ruth,

Thank you so much for the laundry bag you made me, it is amazing, and I love the design especially the Sturt’s Desert pea. It reminds me of back home and from growing up and visiting my grandparents in the Mid North of SA, seeing all the wildlife and especially seeing Sturt’s Desert Peas growing on the sides of the road. I grow Sturt’s Desert Peas from time to time in my front garden next to my letter box, so that reminds me of home as well.

A bit about myself to give you context of my background, I was born and raised in SA in the north-eastern suburbs. My parents are from Mid North, South Australian towns and moved to the city just before I was born. My Dad was a Diesel mechanic for the highways department early on then worked for Ampol (I know that is long ago) before seeing out his career in Mercedes trucks. My mum looked after my sister and I before working as a shop assistant/manager at several supermarkets after we had finished schooling. They are both retired now.

My hobbies are running, cycling, archery and bush walking, as well as running around after my daughter for all her activities.

I am married to my wifeand have been since 1995, we love our time together and love travelling when we can. We also have a daughter who is 13, she attends a  school in SA, enjoys dancing, running, athletics, cycling, water polo and wants to do triathlons. We have lived in  SA all of our lives except at the start of my career when we were separated for nine months while I was posted away and again recently for the last two and a half years where I live in  NSW posted away. 

I have now been in the RAAF for 18 Years having worked in various roles across many units and squadrons, and it has been highly rewarding. I am currently on my third deployment to the Middle East Region and each has been vastly different roles and again highly rewarding experiences. I am extremely proud and privileged to serve my country and for those that have gone before me. Although it is hard at times to be away from my family, friends and home, it is also important and rewarding the jobs we are doing here. It is always great morale boosters to receive care packages from back home like yours to keep us going.

So, thanks again so much for making me a great laundry bag that will be well used.

Kind Regards

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Dear Roz,

First and foremost thank you for the quilt! The design is absolutely perfect and I wouldn't change a thing (big thanks to your daughter as well! Great to see another Gravity Falls fan). 

I hope you are handling Covid-19 well. Being an emergency nurse during this pandemic must be a tough job. When I was 10 I got appendicitis. I was in immense pain for days before they could finally operate and remove my inflamed appendix. It was approx 6 hours from bursting and potentially killing me. Sufficed to say I was probably a terrible patient, but the nurses that cared for me made the biggest difference to my well-being during that time and I thank them wholeheartedly. What you do makes a difference. You guys are the real heroes!

Our mess is definitely dark and gloomy most of the time there are people sleeping in the mess roughly 22/24 hours in the day. It also makes for very little downtime so I'm looking forward to getting home where the quilt will be perfect for Netflix nights in front of the TV! So for now it sits safely in my locker where it cant get damaged. 

Life onboard is long and monotonous and my desire to get home grows with each day. But receiving this gift is truly appreciated. Thank you once again. 

  

Yours aye,

P.S. who says grown men can't like kids cartoons 

.......

Good evening Jenni,

I have received your care package and laundry bag. I want to say a big thank you for all the effort and kindness you put into it. It warmed my heart and gave me such a big smile with how kind it was of you to make those and write me lovely letters as well. So thank you!

I am using the laundry bag everyday and receive compliments from my peers on how great it looks. You have made this operation a little easier and I can’t thank you enough. God bless.

......

Hello Kristie,

Thank you so very much for the quilt. I am truly very appreciative that someone back home would be thinking of me and go through the effort to make me a quilt. Then to learn it was made by a group of people! I truly feel blessed. To receive your letter and Tim Tams with it was amazing as well. I really can't thank you enough. It truly made my day days.

I don't feel like I'm that special at all, I'm just a guy that it doing his job. It's people like you that are the special ones. People that volunteer their own time and money to make something for a complete stranger. Thats truly special behaviour. And I believe that in our Aussie spirit, and something that makes me proud to be an Australian.

Something I was pondering, how on Earth do you have time to make quilts when you've got 2 boys and a husband to look after?? You must be a super woman! haha :)

I thought I'd share a little bit about myself too. I'm an Maintenance Technician  on the C130J Hercules aircraft, and I'm very passionate about my job and the work that our Squadron does. Eg. when the fires were ravaging the country earlier this year we had aircraft flying everyday moving fires around to wherever they needed to be. Then when Covid happened we had a C130 transporting people from Darwin to Christmas Island. This is what the Air Force is for, I understand that, but it is nice to be able to serve our Country, while doing a job I love. Which is exactly what you and the Ladies of the Night are doing. Absolute Heroes in my eyes.

Please pass on my thanks to the other ladies :)

Kind regards,

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G’Day Jenni,

I am just writing to thank you for the generous care package that I have received recently.

I would like to take this time to introduce myself.  I am a  Aircrewman  and have served in the Navy for 15 years. Previous deployments have included OP Slipper – Middle East, South East and East Asia deployments, Pacific nations and RIMPAC. I enjoy Australian Rules Football, surfing, and sports in general. My partner and daughter reside on the east coast of Australia, in God’s country. 

We are currently in the Middle East area for Operation Manitou, as part of the IMSC – International Maritime Security Construct. It’s been an exciting deployment with many challenges, similar to the challenges we are facing back home in Australia. Being away and not having the creature comforts of home can take its toll, so having a care package with treats and gifts really does lift your spirits. When the mail run comes in you can really feel the moral across the ship lift, there’s definitely a buzz on board. Being an Aircrewman I’m lucky that we get the opportunity to fly and pick up the mail and deliver the goods to the ship.

I have attached the latest newsletter for your information and give you a more detailed idea of what we are achieving out here. Again I can’t thank you enough for your thoughtful package. Its lifted our spirits and definitely makes our days easier.

I love the Laundry Bag!

I hope you are keeping safe back home.

Thanking you

......

Hello Anne!

I’m a member of HMAS Toowoomba currently deployed to the Middle East J  

Just wanted to let you know that I received my Laundry Bag and your letter last week! The bag looks and feels wonderful and has been put to use straight away!! Please pass on my thanks to Inge who did the embroidery and wording on my bag J

It was great to read that you and Alan were both members of the Navy and that Alan served in Vietnam! Whenever I feel as though I’m living in discomfort on board the ship, I stop to think about the conditions that past Navy and ADF members had to endure – there’s no doubt that the conditions we enjoy on board RAN ships today are luxurious compared to what fellow servicemen and servicewomen had to put up with in the past.

Once again, thank you for the time that you and your fellow volunteers have invested in making Laundry Bags and Quilts for Toowoomba’s crew members. Your efforts are much appreciated – it goes a long way to lifting morale on board the ship and gives us a little reminder of home J

And as you wrote in your letter, despite the challenges that life in Australia can bring, there’s not a shadow of a doubt that Australia is a wonderful country – I too would not wish to live anywhere else in the world!

I hope COVID-19 hasn’t wreaked too much havoc at home. Seems like you live in a lovely town. 

Best wishes,

......

Good Afternoon Kylie and Rhonda,

I am writing to you today to say thank you for the hand-made laundry bag I received whilst here on deployment in the Middle East!

You guys did a fantastic job, it is even better than I could have imagined. It has all of the things in the design that will always remind me of my first operational deployment.

I’m not sure whether to use the laundry bag, or hang it up somewhere so it stays in perfect condition. I definitely don’t want to damage your fine work!

Judging by the embroidered RAAF Bomb Disposal emblem, I am guessing you may have also made the one for my quilt as well Rhonda?

I have served 18 years in the RAAF so far, across  different roles working with in Aircraft maintenance and a off aircraft role. 

I have been here in the Middle East since last year,  and am due to return home soon .Hopefully I am able to travel around and see my family soon after I get home.

Anyway, I better get back to work. Lunch break is over and the work won’t do itself haha. Thank you so much for the laundry bag, and I hope you and your families are doing well.

Kind Regards,

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Good Morning Philomena,

I received a quilt from you over the weekend. I just wanted to express my thanks and gratitude for the time and effort you have invested into this quilt. It is an amazing quilt and will be something I highly value for the rest of my life. I am back in Australia as a result of all the COVID things happening and I am lucky to be able to share the treats with my family.

Thank you again for all your hard work in making this quilt, I really appreciate such a kind gesture! I hope you are well and relatively unaffected from COVID-19.

Regards

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Hi Bronwyn,

                Just writing to let you know I received the quilt on Thursday. WOW…what a fantastic job. I have other dog handlers over here with me and they all love it, in fact I think it’s better than all of theirs LOL… Thank you also for the Tim Tams...I do like my Tim Tams 😊. 

I used the same photos for my laundry bag which came out a treat also

It is tough losing a dog , but that’s the life for a dog handler I’m afraid. They do a fantastic job in helping us protect RAAF aircraft and bases and without them the job would be very hard indeed.

I also live on 2 and a half acres in SEQLD. My home dogs are a Greyhound  we got from a nearby Uni. She was a dog they used on their vet courses and after they do two courses they get rehomed. She is a sweetie. My other dog is  mediocre Dane 😊.  He’s a real character. I think I have the slowest Greyhound and the fastest Great Dane in Australia!

Many thanks again for the quilt Bronwyn, It’s the envy of the section 😊 I do appreciated the work that goes into them. My wife watched the segment on Better Homes and Gardens about you wonderful ladies.

Kind regards,

...... 

Dear Gail,

Thank you so much for the quilt you made me, it is amazing and must have taken a lot time and effort to complete with its intricate detail. It put a huge smile on my face and a real morale booster which continues every time I look at it on my bed. It is exactly what I was looking for and more, I love the blue stars and Kangaroos flag on the white background, and it is highlighted off with the RAAF crest and Roundel.

 I showed my wife and daughter on Skype as well and they thought it was amazing too. I have been a North Melbourne FC club member for a long time, and I am often asked why I go for North Melbourne instead of one of the South Australian teams. This is because I have been following them since being a teenager, influenced by my uncle and before the Adelaide sides were around, so my loyalty has remained for the Kangas.

I have been in the RAAF for 18 Years having worked in various roles across many units and squadrons, and it has been highly rewarding. I am currently on my third deployment to the Middle East Region and each has been vastly different roles and again highly rewarding experiences. I am extremely proud and privileged to serve my country and for those that have gone before me. Although it is hard at times to be away from my family, friends and home, it is also important and rewarding the jobs we are doing here. It is always great morale boosters to receive care packages from back home like yours to keep us going.

So, thanks again so much for your gift of an amazing quilt and some tasty Tim Tams that always go down as a much-prized treat.

Kind Regards

....

Good Morning Val,

I hope all is well back home for you and your family.

I received my amazing quilt a few days ago but it’s been a little busy for me to jump on a computer.

 I grew up in NSW and I joined the Navy  back in 2013, In the years I’ve done a few deployments here and there mostly to Asia but this is my first time going the Middle East. I’ve been posted to HMAS Perth, Darwin and now Toowoomba as well as spending time in Adelaide for 2 years. My ship is based out of Perth so I’ve spend a lot of time away from my family however I try and take the opportunity to visit when I can. My family back in  NSW have always been super supportive of my want to join the Navy from a very young age I think mostly because of shows like JAG  and movies like Down Periscope but they obviously don’t compare to the real navy haha but I’ve always loved being on the ocean and my girlfriend  has always been super supportive as well as much as she hates it when I leave for a deployment, Her father was a submariner so she knows what service life is like so that’s helpful.

Honestly I don’t know how I can truly show my appreciation for the quilt. Looking back all I requested was my rate badge, my name and rotation number and it seemed super vague and I apologise for that. I was very surprised when I opened my box to see the nice blue fabric on the backside and I thought wow surly it can’t get better than this, Boy was I wrong haha, Opening up the quilt to see the other side and I saw the amazing mixtures of fabrics and I was shocked at how amazing it was I couldn’t stop smiling! I’m glad that your imagination took over to make something I will cherish for the rest of my life.

It’s awesome to think that there Is a group of people like yourself back home that take the time out of their days to create amazing quilts and laundry bags for deployed members. It really does reinforce that somewhere back home someone even though we have never met is thinking of us.

Thank you so much for creating memories for myself and other servicemen and women! Please be sure to say hello to your mum for me because she has a part in every quilt and laundry bag you make because of what she did in WWII and let her know that my quilt is going to a loving home!

Kind Regards,

Hi Sue,

 To refresh your memory you made me an awesome Tuna and Canberra Milk quilt and I absolutely love it!!!

 A little bit about myself, I have served 10 years in the RAN in  May this year. I live with my partnerwho is a nurse in the Army and our beautiful 6 year old daughter . We are both currently posted in the NT, and I am currently posted to HMAS Armidale class patrol boats. Our primary mission on the patrol boats is boarder protection which ranges anywhere from fisheries to illegal entries. Plenty of time for fun also doing plenty of fishing ourselves and fun activities.

 I am from Canberra, ACT which is why I asked for Canberra Milk which is a staple classic in the capital. 

 We absolutely love the quilt in our household and it gets used every day sitting on the lounge in front of the T,V, with the air conditioner on full blast.

Thank you again so much and sorry again for taking so long to write to you.

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Good afternoon Ellen,

I just wanted to send you an email saying I have received one of your amazing laundry bags.

The timing couldn’t have been better, my other laundry bag just broke the week before.

At the moment I am over in Malaysia on RCB129.

I have been here for a few months   and can’t wait to get home haha.

I read your letter and I found it very touching.

So I wanted to say thank you so much for making this trip easier for me and supporting the troops around the world.

Thank You!!

Kind Regards,

......

Good afternoon Kylie,

I have received the laundry bag that you made for me and I must say I am extremely grateful.   You have done a wonderful job, and it is amazing to think that there are people at home during this hard time that are willing to put the time and effort into making such a fabulous gifts for us. 

Many thanks for your efforts and kindness,  it really is appreciated,

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Dear Clarissa,

I’m a  Technician on board HMAS Parramatta. I’m writing to you to let you know that I’ve received one of your Aussie Heroes laundry bags whilst on deployment in the South East Asian region and I’m extremely grateful. The bag is amazing and I’ll never be left sifting through 50 of the same looking laundry bag again just trying to find mine as this one definitely stands out in the crowd. The pigs on the fabric seem to remind of home too which is nice. Once again, thank you very much. 

Kind regards 

.......

Good afternoon Ruth,

Thanks so much for the awesome Power laundry bag, and the FruChocs, always great to have a taste of home to brighten my deployment.

This is my third year away from South Australia so you can’t imagine how happy I was to have the FruChocs along with the bag, what a treat.

And thanks for the letter too, glad to hear from a fellow Port supporter, too bad about the season, but I guess it went well for us.

I hope this email finds you well, have a great day, and keep up the wonderful work.

......

Dear Toni,

I have just received my wonderful linen bag and am writing to express my appreciation. I cannot thank you enough for the wonderful time and effort that you have put in to making me my one of a kind bag. It makes it so much easier being able to find your washing from the numerous machines when you have something colourful and unique instead of the plain coloured ones we are issued at training.

My favourite is the strip with the soldiers and the poppies. It was exactly what I was hoping for, especially as we are lucky enough to be spending Anzac Day deployed. It really makes you stop and appreciate everyone who has walked the path before us and contributed to our freedom and way of life, by sacrificing theirs. I was also very happy to see that even though our lives have been impacted by Coronavirus Australia was still able to stop and pay respects to the soldiers before us, even if just by standing at the end of their driveways. Its times like these that really make you stop and appreciate the little things in life, as we should.

You sound like you lead a very busy and fulfilling life. I admire your care work, as I do not think that I would have the capacity to do that type of work. However I have always been greatly interested in working as a midwife, as I do not think that you could find a more rewarding occupation than helping people bringing the joy and love of a child into the world. Whilst I am still young enough to maybe go back and study and change my career path, I think that I will spend the remainder of my working life in the Defence Force.

I hope that you have more luck this year with your veggie garden. My parents used to have an amazing garden and chooks and sheep etc when they lived in Tasmania.  I look forward to reaching retirement and settling down and starting my own little veggie patch and owning chickens etc. However with our moving and postings etc it is too hard to do that at this stage.

I have three children, who are all now grown up and left home. My oldest son is 26 and lives in NT with his family and is a Diesel mechanic working on the machinery at mines etc. He was living in Darwin where we are based currently until the start of this year so I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time with my grandson up until then. My next oldest is 21 and lives in a small town in Central QLD  , but is wanting to come home as he is realising that life is a lot easier with Mum and Dad! My youngest is my daughter who is 20 and currently lives in FNQ as she is studying Biomedicine at Uni. Fingers crossed she comes up with the vaccine to the Virus!!! My husband is also in the Army, so we are used to spending great lengths of time apart. It was tough on the children growing up, however they have all grown up to be polite and hard working adults which is what my aim was.

I hope that you and your family have a safe and prosperous 2020 and once again, a huge big thank you for all your hard work and dedication to making our lives over here, a little bit more homely and comforting.

.......

Hello Ann,

I am currently serving within the Middle East.

The other day, I was lucky enough to be given a laundry bag that was hand made by yourself.

It truly means a lot to receive something personal made by someone in Australia, as it is pure kindness.

The laundry bag is something that I can continue to use for the remainder of my career and will be a reminder of your generosity.

I hope both you and loved ones are remaining in good health back home, we are all thinking of everyone in Australia.

Again, thank you for taking the time to make this lovely laundry bag that I have received.

Regards,

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Dear Toni,

Thank you very much for the laundry bag you have created and sent to me.

I was really looking forward to see what design took shape with my winter and snow

boarding theme, I am very happy with the end result. I love the snowboarder design

you choose and the simplicity of the mountains and snow keeps everything nice and

clear to see which is exactly how I like it. The fabric you choose for the world map is great.

I wanted that to remind me of the places I have been to in my travels so far.. I have

started to use it already here in the MER. I am looking forward to showing it off when

I am next on holidays on my next snowboarding trip. I am sure I will get a few

comments !!!!

A little about me  this is my first deployment. I have been i n the RAAF for several years now and it has been a great experience.. Being deployed has

been the highlight of my career and a great honour. Some other places I have been lucky

to go to have been Alaska and Alice Springs. 

I enjoyed reading the letter you typed and also thank you for the snacks you

included in the parcel. The post it notes have come in handy as well. I admire

your ability to work in aged care, my grandparents were in a Nursing Home and

when I visited them I could see the hard work that the nursing staff do.

I hope you stay safe in the Covid-19 Pandemic world we live in at the moment. I can image

Australia at the moment is a very different place to when I left it. Hopefully every thing

settles down soon and the world can go back to being “normal” again.

Once again thank you very much for taking the time to sew my laundry bag, also

please pass on my thanks to Jan-Maree for organizing Aussie Hero quilts.

Regards

...

Told you they were crackin!

Till next week, take care :-) 

Kylie.