Grati-Wednesday 7th January 2026

 

Happy Wednesday Friends!

We are very grateful to be bringing in the New year with the lovely thoughts below. 

There are, as always, some beautiful sentiments in the following gratitude letters. 

 Grab a cuppa, sit back and relax while you soak up some well-deserved gratitude!

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Here are 2 thank you letters to 2 different volunteers. One for a quilt and one for a laundry bag. One very happy recipient!!!

Good Morning Ellen N,

 

I like to thank you very much for the quilt you made for me. I absolutely love it.

 

Thank you for putting in the time and effort into making these quilts for us Defence members as we really appreciate it.

 

Please find attached a photo of me with my quilt.

 

Kind Regards,

Good Morning Ruth S,

 

I like to thank you very much for the laundry bag you made for me. I absolutely love it.

 

For my leave I went to England and got to watch Manchester United play at their home ground which is Old Trafford in Manchester which was spectacular.

 

Thank you for putting in the time and effort into making these laundry bags for us Defence members as we really appreciate it.

 

Please find attached a photo of me with my laundry bag.

 

Kind Regards, 

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G’day Bev and Geoff C,

 

This email is to thank you for the work and care put into the Aussie Hero Quilt that you sent to me.

 

 I joined as a Reservist in 2006, although have spent several years (including now) working full-time with the Air Force.

 

You might have received this feedback from others in past, but I want to relate to you that these quilts are prized by the ADF service members, families and veterans who have been fortunate enough to receive one. Indeed, I can remember the crew of a Japan Air Self-Defense Force C-130 Hercules receiving quilts in gratitude for their support following the 2019/20 bushfires, and thinking there were few other contemporary ADF traditions like this to thank them for their service.

 

I appreciate the quilt that you have created, especially as it has the Air Force Crest and No. 464 Squadron badge. This was a war-time squadron that flew the Mosquito fighter-bomber over Occupied Europe, and in 2021 it was re-established to be the squadron for the Air Force’s Imagery Specialists (photographers) and Public Affairs Officers. This isn’t the kind of work that is everyone’s first thought when they think of the Air Force, but the re-establishment of 464 gave a large group of people (including myself) a ‘home’ within the Air Force.

 

This sense of belonging is important when we’re often called away at short-notice and extended periods to document the work that Defence conducts around the world. It matters to know that there are people in the Air Force (or indeed the wider community such as yourselves) who care about us when we’re away.

 

The work done by Aussie Hero Quilts has long been something that I have valued, and I now count myself lucky to have one of my own. It will take pride of place in my young family (8F, 5M, 3F) when I am at home, and I will take it with me on trips to remind me of them when I am away.

Thank you again for all of the work that you do.

 

Cheers,

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Good evening Shirley D,

I would like to say a massive thank you again for my amazing quilt, I love every part of it, you have done such an amazing job for a second time.

The day my quilt arrived could not have been timed better, it was a very busy period over here and I wasn’t having a good day, but as soon as I opened that box, I knew it was you who had made my quilt, that amazing cricket print was the first thing I saw and I was so happy to know you made this for me as well. The happiness and joy this amazing quilt has bought me, I can’t even begin to explain what it means. The poppy’s and the sunset on it is better then I could have imagined, I was very emotional (in a good way) seeing how beautiful it is, and with my unit at the bottom as well.

Thank you so much for what you do with Aussie Hero Quilts and Laundry bags, anyone who gets the privilege to receive your amazing work I hope cherish it as much as I will and it means so much to me.

I hope you had an amazing Christmas, and a safe new year.

(The Tim Tams have bought great joy to the ops room yet again) 

Thank you so so much,

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Dear Gayle W,

Thank you so much for the delightful quilt you made for me, I was absolutely thrilled to receive it and feel very humbled to be the proud owner of something so unique and special and I can assure you that it will be loved and cherished forever.

You are very talented and I absolutely loved the design you came up with, I especially loved the planes you created, so clever!

I just wanted to share a bit about me. I live in Canberra with my husband and two children.

One is 15 and loves basketball and one is 12 and loves school, colouring-in and painting rocks.

I work full-time with the Department of Defence and have been a Specialist Reservist Public Affairs Officer with the RAAF since 2017. I have worked in Government roles for the past 21 years including 5 years in Air Force Headquarters.

When I left Air Force Headquarters, I had so much knowledge on aircraft types and Defence processes that becoming a reservist was the perfect fit and now enables me to mentor and train others.

I'm not sure if you are aware of the role of a public affairs officer although in wartime, it will be our role to share the good news stories, manage the photographers and videographers with creating content to be shared with the public and generations to come. One day I hope to deploy although I will wait until my kids finish school. They would miss their taxi driver and chef way too much!

I love my reserve work and have been given many fantastic opportunities. This year, I worked on the Federal Election Campaign as a RAAF Media Liaison Officer aboard a charter aircraft, I was the lead public affairs officer for the Air Force Balloon and Australian Air Force Cadets, my role mainly entails writing stories for Air Force News, social media and looking for opportunities to share content and take imagery. I also worked on the Bomber Command Commemoration and Legacy Week. No one year is ever the same and next year, I have been tasked with writing content for the Australian ANZAC Day Service nationally which I am very much looking forward to.

Aside from my reserve work, I am also studying part-time and am in my third year. I love learning about people, their personalities and behaviours.

Thank you again for sharing your talent with me by creating something so unique, immensely delicate and beautiful, it will be treasured forever.

Wishing you a truly wonderful and blessed Christmas and I hope 2026 is an amazing year for you and your family.

Best wishes

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Dear Beverly and Joan,

Thank you very much for the quilt that you both worked on as a gift for me, it has come in handy on cold nights here. I am currently deployed on OP MAZURKA.

I grew up on the Gold Coast and have been in the Army for twenty years and am posted to Canberra.

Thank you again for your gift and the support that you provide us on these overseas deployments.

Kind Regards,

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Hello Kirsten O,

I wanted to send a quick email just to let you know that I (finally) received the quilt you made for me! I had thought it was lost to the postal system as is so common, but it has thankfully arrived just before I am due back to Australia after 12 long months.

I extend my thanks to you and everyone who contributes to this project; it is always nice to have something to remind you of home whilst deployed, and a memento to remember the time away once we return. I particularly love the little Border Collie sections, makes me so happy that I will shortly get to see my dog again!

I wish you, your son (and Red) a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Kind regards,

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Hi Bridget R,  

I just wanted to let you know the quilt arrived yesterday, and he absolutely loves it! Thank you so much for your work, it is truly appreciated and the way the quilt has been put together is absolutely perfect. It is a lovely quilt which we will be able to keep forever, as a tribute to his time in service. 

Please pass on our thanks to the embroiderer Inge as well, the details on the quilt are amazing. 

Kind regards, 

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Cheers Catherine D

Until next week keep your letters, emails and photos coming in.  Wednesdays would be so totally boring without them!

🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻