A light for the lost: Honouring the tireless advocate for Australia’s most vulnerable youth

Australia has lost one of its quiet heroes. Father Chris Riley – the Catholic priest who devoted his life to helping homeless and disadvantaged youth – has passed away at age 70 after a long battle with illness.

Many Australians will remember Father Riley as the tireless founder of Youth Off The Streets, a charity he launched in 1991 to give troubled kids a fighting chance. From the back alleys of King’s Cross to remote country towns, his influence reached far and wide. Today, as the nation mourns his loss, we also celebrate the remarkable legacy he leaves behind.



From a Food Van to a National Mission​

It all began with a van. If you were around Sydney’s King’s Cross in the early 1990s, you might have spotted a determined young priest handing out meals to kids living on the streets. That humble food van marked the start of Father Chris Riley’s dream of helping disadvantaged youth.


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Source: Youth Off The Streets/Facebook



Youth Off The Streets (YOTS), the non-profit he founded in 1991, started as a one-man outreach in the gritty heart of Sydney. “Father Chris Riley’s dream … began with a single food van delivering meals to homeless youth in Sydney’s Kings Cross,” the organisation recalls on its website. In other words, he saw a need and literally took to the streets to meet it.

What grew from those modest beginnings is nothing short of inspiring. Over the decades, Father Riley expanded that single-van operation into a national network of services.

Fast forward to today, and YOTS provides a wraparound support system for young people in crisis – from emergency housing and crisis accommodation, to counselling for drug and alcohol issues, even independent high schools for kids who struggled in mainstream education. The charity remains non-denominational (open to all, regardless of religion) and works with youth who are homeless, battling substance abuse, or recovering from trauma.

In short, he built an organisation that tackles all aspects of a young person’s struggle. As one summary puts it, Father Riley spent decades growing Youth Off The Streets into a leading youth services organisation.



Crucially, Father Riley’s approach was always hands-on and pragmatic. He had worked in just about every role that involves helping youth – teacher, probation officer, residential carer, even a school principalbefore he ever started his own charity. Those early years on a dairy farm in Victoria and later working with troubled kids gave him a real-world perspective that shaped YOTS.

He often said he believed there was “no such thing as a child born bad,” only bad environments or circumstances pushing kids off the rails. This simple but profound philosophy guided everything he did. Instead of blame, he focused on solutions – providing “strengths-based strategies and positive options to help [young people] build a better future”. In an era when some might have written troubled youth off as “hopeless cases,” Father Riley firmly rejected that idea. Every child, in his eyes, deserved a chance.

A Legacy Written in Young Lives​


It’s one thing to feed a few hungry kids for a night, but Father Riley was aiming higher: he wanted to transform lives. By the 2000s, Youth Off The Streets had launched innovative programs that earned national respect. He opened schools like Key College in Redfern (back in 1996) specifically for teens who had been disconnected from mainstream education.


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Source: Youth Off The Streets/Facebook



He set up youth refuges and residential programs, giving kids not just a bed, but stability and support. He even started a scholarship program to help disadvantaged young Australians pursue their talents and dreams – ensuring that lack of money or support wouldn’t stop a determined kid from succeeding. Many of his ideas and initiatives were so effective that they’ve been adopted by schools and government agencies across Australia.

By all accounts, the numbers alone are impressive. Today, Youth Off The Streets operates over 35 different programs and services for youth and their families, powered by more than 200 staff and 330 dedicated volunteers nationwide. Thousands of young lives have been touched – and often turned around – thanks to Father Riley’s work.

Some kids who once had no home or hope have since finished school, found jobs, started families, and even become mentors themselves. One of the charity’s long-time program leaders noted how Father Riley’s belief that “no child or young person should be left behind” continues to drive their mission. In many ways, the greatest measure of his legacy is written in the success stories of those he helped.



Importantly, Father Riley wasn’t in it alone, and he inspired a whole community around him. Tributes have been pouring in from colleagues and those who knew him.

“Father Riley’s dedication to supporting and empowering young Australians in need has left a powerful legacy,” said Judy Barraclough, the current CEO of Youth Off The Streets. Under his vision and drive, she noted, the organisation will continue striving to provide more and more at-risk children with “safety, support and education for a better future.”

Anne Fitzgerald, who chairs the YOTS Board, similarly praised his lifelong service. “He was a tireless advocate for homeless and disadvantaged youth, and he inspired and changed thousands of young lives,” she said, reflecting on his decades of work. According to Fitzgerald, Father Riley will be remembered for his compassion, tenacity and unwavering belief that every young person deserves the chance to reach their full potential. Those qualities – compassion, tenacity, and faith in people – sum him up perfectly.


Source: 7NEWS Australia/Youtube​


Honours, Humility, and Passing the Baton​


Given his extraordinary contributions, it’s no surprise Father Chris Riley garnered many accolades over the years. In 2006, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his service to disadvantaged youth, formally recognising him as one of the nation’s true local heroes.

That same year he received the Australian Human Rights Medal, sharing the honour with prominent broadcaster Phillip Adams. Academia acknowledged him too: in 2010 the University of Western Sydney awarded him an honorary doctorate for his achievements. And in 2012, he was named the New South Wales Australian of the Year, a tribute to how deeply his work had impacted the community. For a man who never sought the spotlight, these honors showed that even at the highest levels, people saw the value of what he was doing.

Yet, those who knew Father Riley would tell you he wore these honours lightly. He wasn’t one for self-promotion or grand speeches about “changing the world.” Instead, he just kept showing up for the kids who needed him, night after night.


Source: Australian of the Year Awards / YouTube​


In interviews over the years, he remained down-to-earth about his mission. He emphasised practical help over lofty words – a cup of coffee and a chat with a street kid at 2am, rather than abstract policy talk. Perhaps that’s why his work resonated with so many ordinary Australians: it was rooted in action and empathy.

Even as he battled health issues later in life, Father Riley tried to stay involved. Diabetes and other illnesses began to slow him down around 2019, and after nearly 30 years at the helm he finally stepped aside as CEO of YOTS in 2020.

By December 2022, he retired from the board entirely due to his health, marking the end of an era. It couldn’t have been easy for him to let go of the organisation he built from scratch. But true to form, he handled that transition with grace and hope.

“The baton must now be passed to the next generation of leaders, who I know will carry Youth Off The Streets into the future with energy, ideas and expertise,” Father Riley said upon his retirement It was a powerful reminder that his vision was always bigger than just one person – it was a collective mission, meant to live on after him.



And live on it will. Youth Off The Streets continues its work, led by the team Father Riley mentored and inspired. They, along with countless supporters, volunteers, and former “street kids” he helped, are determined to keep his legacy alive.

For many Australians, Father Chris Riley’s story is a comforting one in a world that often seems full of bad news. It’s the story of how one person’s compassion can ripple outward and change lives. It’s proof that age-old values – kindness, persistence, faith in each other – still have a place and can make a real difference.

As we bid farewell to this remarkable man, we’re also challenged by his example. After all, not many of us will found a nationwide charity, but every one of us can care about our community’s kids and lend a hand where we can.


Key Takeaways

  • Father Chris Riley (1954–2025) was a Catholic priest and the founder of Youth Off The Streets, a charity he started in 1991 to support homeless and disadvantaged youth. Over 34 years, he became a nationally respected advocate for vulnerable young Australians. He passed away at the age 70 after a long battle of illness.
  • What began as a single food van in King’s Cross grew into a nationwide organisation with over 35 programs – including shelters, schools, drug counselling, and mentorship – supported by more than 200 staff and 300 volunteers. Thousands of young lives have been transformed through these services.
  • Father Riley’s work earned him major accolades. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2006 and received the Human Rights Medal the same year. He also received an honorary doctorate (2010) and was named NSW Australian of the Year in 2012 for his contributions to youth welfare.
  • Known for his mantra that “there is no such thing as a child born bad,” Father Riley approached every young person with compassion and optimism. Colleagues say he will be remembered for his tenacity and unwavering belief in giving every kid a chance to reach their full potential. His legacy lives on through the ongoing work of Youth Off The Streets and all those he inspired.
Father Chris Riley liked to say that no child is born bad – and he spent his life proving that if you give a young person love and support, you just might set them on a path to a better future. His passing marks the end of a chapter, but the book of his legacy is still being written in the hearts and minds of those he touched. May he rest in peace.

Did you ever cross paths with Father Chris Riley, or do you know someone whose life was touched by Youth Off The Streets? We’d love to hear your stories in the comments below.

Read more: Rock icon dies at 81, fans reflect on music and legacy
 
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Father Chris Riley was one of a kind who had helped thousands of young people including my daughter inlaw and her sister from the age of 12 when they became homeless due to their drug addicted mother.
This Article is from The Sydney Morning Herald 20 years ago Sonya is one of ny daughter inlaws

Once adrift, Sonya is back in touch​

September 13, 2004

Sonya Botterill knows the feeling of being cut adrift. The 20-year-old spent most of her childhood shuffling between foster homes and women's refuges. At the age of 13, a transient lifestyle was the only one she had known.
Today, Ms Botterill has her own rental accommodation and a job in a horticultural centre and has just finished a floristry course, largely thanks to the help she received from Father Chris Riley's Youth Off the Streets organisation.
But meeting the challenges of youth homelessness is becoming an increasingly technology-driven field.

While most Australians take for granted the way mobile phones and the internet have become central to communication, there are an estimated 45,000 homeless people under the age of 25 for whom such technology remains beyond their grasp.

Now some of Sydney's most needy teenagers are receiving what most high school students believe they cannot live without.

Youth Off the Streets, Mission Australia and Barnardos Australia have become partners in a pilot program designed to equip young people in crisis with mobile phones.

Since July, the Vodafone Australia Foundation has provided more than 150 pre-paid mobiles to homeless children aged between 13 and 18, enabling them to keep in touch with their case workers, potential employers, Centrelink and, if they chose, their families.

Lareena Brown, corporate partnerships manager at Youth off the Streets, says the program has the potential to break the vicious cycle many teenagers without stable accommodation find themselves trapped in.

For Ms Botterill, applying for a job meant you had to leave the phone number of a refuge - a factor hardly likely to endear you to a prospective employer.

"I'd see other kids - normal kids - and they had phones their parents had bought them. But I thought, if I got a phone, I'd sell it the next day. Or I'd lose it, because I was moving all the time."

Father Riley was one very special man . They broke the mould with this one.

As a child he saw an old Spencer Tracy movie , Boys Town where My Tracy played a priest who helped troubled boys and he decided after watching Boys Town that he woukd become a Priest and help kids like that.

RIP Father Riley 🙏
 
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Father Chris Riley was one of a kind who had helped thousands of young people including my daughter inlaw and her sister from the age of 12 when they became homeless due to their drug addicted mother.
This Article is from The Sydney Morning Herald 20 years ago Sonya is one of ny daughter inlaws

Once adrift, Sonya is back in touch​

September 13, 2004

Sonya Botterill knows the feeling of being cut adrift. The 20-year-old spent most of her childhood shuffling between foster homes and women's refuges. At the age of 13, a transient lifestyle was the only one she had known.
Today, Ms Botterill has her own rental accommodation and a job in a horticultural centre and has just finished a floristry course, largely thanks to the help she received from Father Chris Riley's Youth Off the Streets organisation.
But meeting the challenges of youth homelessness is becoming an increasingly technology-driven field.

While most Australians take for granted the way mobile phones and the internet have become central to communication, there are an estimated 45,000 homeless people under the age of 25 for whom such technology remains beyond their grasp.

Now some of Sydney's most needy teenagers are receiving what most high school students believe they cannot live without.

Youth Off the Streets, Mission Australia and Barnardos Australia have become partners in a pilot program designed to equip young people in crisis with mobile phones.

Since July, the Vodafone Australia Foundation has provided more than 150 pre-paid mobiles to homeless children aged between 13 and 18, enabling them to keep in touch with their case workers, potential employers, Centrelink and, if they chose, their families.

Lareena Brown, corporate partnerships manager at Youth off the Streets, says the program has the potential to break the vicious cycle many teenagers without stable accommodation find themselves trapped in.

For Ms Botterill, applying for a job meant you had to leave the phone number of a refuge - a factor hardly likely to endear you to a prospective employer.

"I'd see other kids - normal kids - and they had phones their parents had bought them. But I thought, if I got a phone, I'd sell it the next day. Or I'd lose it, because I was moving all the time."

Father Riley was one very special man . They broke the mold with this one.

As a child he saw an old Spencer Tracy movie , Boys Town where My Tracy played a priest who helped troubled boys and he decided after watching Boys Town that he would become a Priest and help kids like that.

RIP Father Riley 🙏
I can remember seeing Boy's Town as a child and it must have made an impression on me. I grew up in a house that was two blocks away from a Salvation Army Boy's Home of some one hundred boys. These boys went to the same primary school as I did and unknowingly that film changed my attitude to the "Home Boys" as they were referred to. A group of us "outsiders" formed a cricket team and use to play the "home boys" now and again. It was great.
 
Father Chris Riley was one of a kind who had helped thousands of young people including my daughter inlaw and her sister from the age of 12 when they became homeless due to their drug addicted mother.
This Article is from The Sydney Morning Herald 20 years ago Sonya is one of ny daughter inlaws

Once adrift, Sonya is back in touch​

September 13, 2004

Sonya Botterill knows the feeling of being cut adrift. The 20-year-old spent most of her childhood shuffling between foster homes and women's refuges. At the age of 13, a transient lifestyle was the only one she had known.
Today, Ms Botterill has her own rental accommodation and a job in a horticultural centre and has just finished a floristry course, largely thanks to the help she received from Father Chris Riley's Youth Off the Streets organisation.
But meeting the challenges of youth homelessness is becoming an increasingly technology-driven field.

While most Australians take for granted the way mobile phones and the internet have become central to communication, there are an estimated 45,000 homeless people under the age of 25 for whom such technology remains beyond their grasp.

Now some of Sydney's most needy teenagers are receiving what most high school students believe they cannot live without.

Youth Off the Streets, Mission Australia and Barnardos Australia have become partners in a pilot program designed to equip young people in crisis with mobile phones.

Since July, the Vodafone Australia Foundation has provided more than 150 pre-paid mobiles to homeless children aged between 13 and 18, enabling them to keep in touch with their case workers, potential employers, Centrelink and, if they chose, their families.

Lareena Brown, corporate partnerships manager at Youth off the Streets, says the program has the potential to break the vicious cycle many teenagers without stable accommodation find themselves trapped in.

For Ms Botterill, applying for a job meant you had to leave the phone number of a refuge - a factor hardly likely to endear you to a prospective employer.

"I'd see other kids - normal kids - and they had phones their parents had bought them. But I thought, if I got a phone, I'd sell it the next day. Or I'd lose it, because I was moving all the time."

Father Riley was one very special man . They broke the mould with this one.

As a child he saw an old Spencer Tracy movie , Boys Town where My Tracy played a priest who helped troubled boys and he decided after watching Boys Town that he woukd become a Priest and help kids like that.

RIP Father Riley

🙏
Sounds a lovely caring man but l didn't know him RIP Father Riley
Suzanne you live around Sydney. Can you remember the name of the priest who baptised children in groups in a big room in Sydney somewhere? l wish l could remember his name he was so well known.
l had Michael my youngest baptised by him . My sister and l were going to have her son and mine christened together in a church around where she lived but the Rev refused to because we didn't attend his church. l was speechless.
 
Sounds a lovely caring man but l didn't know him RIP Father Riley
Suzanne you live around Sydney. Can you remember the name of the priest who baptised children in groups in a big room in Sydney somewhere? l wish l could remember his name he was so well known.
l had Michael my youngest baptised by him . My sister and l were going to have her son and mine christened together in a church around where she lived but the Rev refused to because we didn't attend his church. l was speechless.
He was an amazing man. My daughter inlaw will attend his funeral.

Unfortunately I have never heard of the priest who baptised groups of children.

Do you remember what suburb it was.
 
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I can remember seeing Boy's Town as a child and it must have made an impression on me. I grew up in a house that was two blocks away from a Salvation Army Boy's Home of some one hundred boys. These boys went to the same primary school as I did and unknowingly that film changed my attitude to the "Home Boys" as they were referred to. A group of us "outsiders" formed a cricket team and use to play the "home boys" now and again. It was great.
What a beautiful story. You would have done so much good by doing this than you actually realise.

It's so sad how many kids are either homeless or badly neglected.

I met Sonya when she was 16 and I remember the first time she had dinner with us. She was very uncomfortable and what I found out later was that it was the first time she sat at a dinner table with a family. She had never eaten dinner as a family something we took for granted. I always insisted everyone was home so we could eat together each night as sometimes this was the only time we would all be at home the same time
 
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I have just been reading Father Riley's life. Many years ago mother-in-law visiting, we were watching TV, about homeless children. M-I-L said "they should go home". To her the fault was the kids, not parents. I replied that I used to think that, then realised many are from homes where parents separated, divorced, in new relationships, the kids didn't fit in, new partners didn't want them, kids reacted, then were thrown out. The fault was with the parents, many of whom were also on drugs. Many kids probably felt safer on the streets & thanks to Father Riley & many like him, those kids have survived. My admiration to all those who spend their lives helping the less fortunate & in need of love & care.
 
No l can't it was so long ago and as you know when you have a few children- but not as many as you -of course you get so busy ballet singing and piano lessons football even in a play 'The Boyfriend''and l had a job.How did we manage to do it all?
How many of his priestly colleagues did he report to police for their probable paedophilia?

Don't try to ell me he didn't know any.

FACT: No Australian priest has ever reported another priest to police for their probable paedophilia.
The article is about a caring man helping teenagers not about what other priests did
 
How many of his priestly colleagues did he report to police for their probable paedophilia?

Don't try to ell me he didn't know any.

FACT: No Australian priest has ever reported another priest to police for their probable paedophilia.
I knew him and this was one man who was as honest as they came and if he knew of a priest doing something they shouldn't be doing especially paedophilia he would have definitely reported it.

Maybe show a little bit of respect to a man that has dedicated his life to help others or just say nothing .

I know to well about Paedophilia and this post is not the one to discuss it.
 
TheBottomLine_ChrisRiley_1-800x533.jpg
Even though he was A Catholic priest he never discriminated . I think a better title for him would have been A Warrior Priest
The Bottom Line, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Youth Off The Streets, Father Chris Riley, identifies a series of fundamental changes that he believes, if implemented, will help modernise the Catholic Church. , Riley explains to host Alex Malley (Chief Executive of CPA Australia) that allowing married men and women to practice as priests would break down the barriers of the Catholic Church and move the institution into the twenty-first century.

“I’m not a spokesman for the church, and I certainly abide by the church’s rules and guidelines, but yes, if we allowed priests to be married, we would get some of the best priests back that we’ve had and lost. As for females, I’m a feminist; they’d be great priests.”

Riley has spent a great deal of his life fighting for the underprivileged. He believes social justice is where the church is strongest and remains vocal in this space. “It’s about challenging the powerful who keep the poor people under. We should be a real voice for those sorts of people.”

A fierce supporter of maintaining an open mind, Riley uses his love of storytelling to create a bridge between his own beliefs and experiences of all those looking for his help – without exclusion and regardless of their faith or background. “We’re not a Catholic service, and I make that really, really clear – we’re non-denominational. If a kid comes in who’s gay, there’s no way I’m going to get in the way. I’m not frightened of that; I embrace that sort of thing, and I think the kids have taught me that.”

Founded in 1991, Riley explains how Youth Off The Streets is an organisation built on trust and an entrepreneurial spirit that is focused on offering underprivileged kids an opportunity to have a better life. “They asked me the other day in class why I didn’t preach religion, and I said ‘I get bored of religion.’ I don’t read religious books or theology books; I read psychology and counselling and all those sorts of things to get my skills better for the kids. Religion has never been a real key for me.”

Youth Off The Streets has grown to offer more than twenty-five services, including Aboriginal programs, crisis accommodation, alcohol and other drug services, counselling, accredited high schools, residential programs, and mentoring programs. “Donations are really important to us because we’ve made a decision that we don’t, unlike most organizations who work with kids, get 90 to 100 percent of government funding. We move into troubled communities which the government does not fund…so funding is good. Volunteers are also a very rich pool of resource for us.”
 

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