PRECEDE –
Helen Comport is among a dedicated group of people looking out for our Australian soldiers.
The Harkaway resident started the Australian branch of Quilts of Valour, a not for profit organisation which sends quilts to Australian soldiers who have been injured during battle, and are recovering in overseas hospitals.
Helen explained to Gazette reporter Bridget Scott the difference these quilts make to injured soldiers and their families during a desperate time in their lives, and the direction she hopes to steer her organisation in.
BREAK OUT QUOTE –
“When you are feeling bad, wrap it around yourself, and remember that we care and think you’re important.”
A HARKAWAY resident is giving back to a brave group of men and women, and hopes her local organisation will provide comfort to those recovering from the most traumatic period in their lives.
Helen Comport is the leader of the Australian branch of Quilts of Valour – a not for profit organisation which sends handmade quilts to Australian soldiers who have been injured during battle.
Helen started the Australian branch of the international organisation in 2010, after a close relative was injured in conflict and evacuated to a German military hospital.
While in hospital, Helen’s relative was presented with a quilt by an American organisation and the gesture never left his heart.
The effect was felt throughout the family and when Helen saw the comfort this quilt gave her relative, she wanted to help provide the same kind of happiness to others who had experienced war.
Helen established Quilts of Valour after her relative returned to Australia and is thrilled to see the manner in which it has taken off.
It is now part of a Regimental Sergeant Major’s (RSM) job title to present any injured soldiers with a quilt from Quilts of Valour, and Helen said the gesture was always an emotional experience for the wounded soldiers.
“A lot of the soldiers burst into tears,” she said.
“Because hospitals can be so sterile, a nice, colourful quilt that someone has spent hours making – it can really touch someone who has been shocked and traumatised.”
Various quilting groups, both Victoria and Australia wide have contributed their own work to Quilts of Valour, and Helen explained that some groups leave their own private messages on the patches.
“People have gone out of their way to make it personal,” she said.
Helen said they had a growing stockpile of quilts, and she hoped to reach the families of all Australian soldiers who had been wounded or killed during war.
The quilter remembers hearing from the wife of one solider who was rapt to receive a quilt, and said her baby son had become attached to his dad’s new gift.
“We received a letter from the wife of a man in Germany,” she said.
“She sent a photo of her young son wrapped in the quilt, and said her little boy has loved it as much as her husband.”
Helen explained it is stories like these which remind her how rewarding this job is.
“You feel really good afterward,” Helen said.
“You get more reward when you make for others than just doing something for yourself.”
Helen says at this stage, every solider injured in Afghanistan since the start of 2012 has received a quilt.
The organisation is steadily growing and Helen said the difference now compared to when it first began is remarkable.
More than 100 quilters now help create the masterpieces for Quilts of Valour, and Helen said the organisation grew significantly after a letter she wrote to Quilters Guild Victoria was published in their magazine.
It never ceases to amaze Helen the amount of time and effort people dedicate to the quilts and she said they were nothing less than top quality.
“They don’t use second-hand material, it’s all good quality and the quilting is top class,” she said.
Helen said there was no better feeling than knowing you were helping someone during a time of need.
She hopes that the quilts will provide comfort to soldiers and their families during a traumatic time.
The quilting has opened Helen’s eyes to the harsh reality that becomes of some soldiers once they return home, particularly those who were medically discharged.
“It has helped me understand from a soldier’s perspective and how important it is to support these people,” she said.
Helen understands that life after war can come with its own hardship, but these quilts are designed to remind soldiers that people care.
“When you are feeling bad wrap it around yourself, and remember we care and think you’re important,” she said.
Helen said her own relative was pleased when she decided to start the quilting.
While the organisation already boasts a number of volunteers, Helen has welcomed the support from local businesses in the area.
The Berwick Bendigo Bank has asked that Helen speak as part of its new initiative ‘Community Corner’ which aims to showcase the work of local not for profit organisations.
The Berwick RSL also played an integral role in getting Quilts of Valour up and running, donating $2000.
With high hopes for the future of the Australian branch, Helen is confident that every injured solider will receive the quilt that they deserve.
“I can see it is an important and worthwhile thing if we reach as many people as we can,” she said.
