Diggers Receive Surprise Gifts

Someone’s day just got better.

They have not only received some post from Australia but they have received a parcel from an unknown, deeply talented and caring person who makes quilts or laundry bags for Australian Service personnel deployed on operations.

Time and time again, deployed personnel are surprised and amazed when they receive an unexpected gift such as this.

Founder of Aussie Hero Quilts (and laundry bags), Jan-Maree Ball, began this little project back in 2011.

She said there were three main reasons for embarking on her mission.

“First, I felt the need to do something to give back to our Defence Force as I hated the way our Vietnam Veterans were treated, and that can never happen again,” she said.

“Secondly, I heard of a seriously wounded Aussie soldier given a quilt by the Americans in the German hospital he was being treated in and I felt ashamed that there was not an Aussie quilt for him.

“He now has one of ours and I have since met him and his wife and they have become good friends.

“They tell me that he uses his quilt all the time.

“Finally, I just felt that we, the Aussie public, needed a way to say thank you to our Defence members for their Service”.

Jan-Maree, a retired RAN and RAAF officer, recruited some merry men and women through her quilting network and by the end of December that year, it was obvious that there was enough support throughout the quilters’ network in Australia to turn this into an Australia-wide proposition.

“On 1 January 2012, I launched the dedicated blog: www.aussieheroquilts.blogspot.com.au followed by the Facebook page” said Jan-Maree.

Aussie Hero Quilts (and Laundry bags) has continued to grow steadily.

Incredibly, the 150-200 strong team of stitching fanatics have sent over 5,000 quilts and 7,400 laundry bags in under four years – that is three quilts and five laundry bags a day!

Jan-Maree said “These days, quilts and laundry bags are mailed in response to requests received from serving members or their loved ones”.