When the Boddington Resource Centre found its foodbank empty, the WA Police Blue Light Foundation reached out to staff and prisoners at Karnet to help restock the pantry.
Vocational Support Officer (VSO) and Chef Instructor Paul said the men working the prison kitchen cooked up more than 190 high quality precooked meals.
“The prisoners know it’s for a good cause and they put their hearts and souls into making these meals,” he said. “We have Certificate II and III programs here and they produce delicious food.”
The wholesome, tasty meals included chicken curry, pasta and bolognaise, roast pork and vegetables, and tacos.
Officer in Charge at Boddington Police Station, Sergeant Joshua Egan-Reid, said the food will help feed people doing it tough who come into the Resource Centre for the next two months.
“It’s huge. There are lot of families in need, especially at the moment,” he said. “A lot of the food is meat which is one thing many families are going without – it’s certainly going to help.”
“Any opportunity for people in care to learn to give back to the community is fantastic so we hope this is going to be an ongoing thing.”
Under close supervision, two of the prisoners rode along on the food run from Karnet Prison Farm to Boddington Police Station to make the special delivery in person.
“It feels good to be in the community, to help the community, knowing it’s going to put a smile on someone’s face,” one prisoner said.
“They’re going to enjoy and appreciate the food – I think they’d be quite surprised to learn that it came from a prison environment.”
The benefits of the donations go both ways.
“Being able to help is like a little bit of redemption,” said another prisoner who is studying his Certificate III in Commercial Cookery at the prison farm.
“Teaching these men new skills changes who they are,” VSO Paul said. “To hear someone has left jail and is doing well out there and using what they’ve learned to provide for their family is all you can ask for – everyone’s a winner.”
