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Karnet and the VTC, which offers crisis accommodation and support for veterans and families, have teamed up with charity Homelessness We Care and the Byford Baptist Church to host the Christmas Community Dinner at the church grounds.

Vocational Support Officer (VSO) Chef Supervisor, Tony, said the men working in the prison kitchen made sure there would be enough donated food left over for the charities to provide to those in need into the new year.

“The prisoners always go above and beyond when they know it’s something for the public,” he said. “Especially when they know it’s going into the local community, they do the extra work whether they’re on shift or not - it’s something they’re proud to being able to do.”

Keeping the farm’s surplus produce from going to waste, they used the extra food to create enough meals to feed up to 300 people at the Serpentine-Jarrahdale event.

A variety of nutritious, quality meals – amounting to 160 kilos of food – were on the menu, including satay lamb, pasta bolognaise, sweet and sour pork, chilli con carne, tuna bake, beef ragu, with steamed rice and plenty of bread rolls on the side.

The eight year partnership between Karnet and the VTC takes their Christmas spirit beyond the festive season.

Karnet’s Section 95 (S95) crews regularly work at the Transition Centre, renovating cabins and doing general maintenance, clean-up, and bushfire mitigation for the site.

“Places like the VTC do a great job supporting veterans who’ve served the country and our guys love the chance to come help them,” said S95 Officer, Darren. “It’s a great step towards their reintegration and they come back feeling like they’ve achieved something for the day.”

Section 95 of the Prisons Act allows minimum security prisoners to work in the community through supervised programs and further their own rehabilitation.

VTC Operations Manager, Alan Somers, said he’s witnessed how the work benefits prisoners, as well as the veterans the charity supports.

“It’s good to see they can put the skills they’ve learned in custody to use and assist in the community – not only with us but the other groups and places they help,” he said.