Picture: Rise Network volunteer Angie Wallace with Swan Hills MLA Jessica Shaw and Rise Network CEO Justine Colyer collect the first meals made by Acacia Prison for vulnerable seniors in the Hills.
Media release: Vulnerable seniors take delivery of Doorstep Dinners in Corrective Services initiative
Swan Hills MLA Jessica Shaw proud to facilitate first Hills-based Doorstep Dinners project
- About 200 meals a week will be prepared for at-risk seniors during COVID-19 pandemic
- Rise Network volunteers to deliver the dinners during project’s three-month trial
Swan Hills MLA Jessica Shaw has welcomed the introduction of the Doorstep Dinners project in the Hills.
Seniors at risk will benefit from the project, which is supported by Ms Shaw, WA’s Corrective Services and the Rise Network’s army of volunteers.
Ms Shaw sought assistance from Rise Network CEO Justine Colyer who welcomed the opportunity to be a part of the project.
The Swan Hills “Doorstep Dinners” Meal Project is part of Corrective Services’s Helping Hands initiative, which has involved virtually all of the state’s prisons making an altruistic contribution to their local community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prisoners at Acacia Prison, which is part of the Helping Hands initiative, are preparing the meals in the prison’s purpose-built training kitchen.
The prisoners have an opportunity to complete a traineeship or apprenticeship in Hospitality, Kitchen Operations, Commercial Cookery, Cleaning Operations and Biological Contamination as part of their rehabilitation and reintegration pathway.
Rise Network volunteers collect and distribute a range of meals from roast beef and pork belly dinners to beef stroganoff and Chicken Maryland, prepared and packaged at Acacia Prison.
Comments attributed to Swan Hills MLA Jessica Shaw:
“In these challenging times, it’s great to see so many people come together to support the most vulnerable members of our community. Everyone offered their support without hesitation. Working together, we will provide much-needed assistance to our seniors.
“I would like to thank the staff and inmates at Acacia prison for their commitment to supporting our local area and the Rise Network volunteers for giving their time so selflessly to distribute these meals. Initiatives like this make me so proud to serve and represent this community. It goes to show how much we can achieve when we work together.”
Comments attributed to Rise Network CEO Justine Colyer:
“The best initiatives happen when different parts of the community come together. In this case, we are delighted to work with Jessica Shaw and Acacia Prison to ensure elderly people receive tasty and nutritious meals through the winter. We applaud those in the prison and our volunteer drivers who are so committed to making a contribution.”
Media Contact: Jessica Shaw MLA: 08 9296 7688
