Chris Riley (priest)

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Riley was born in Echuca, Victoria, in 1954 and grew up on a dairy farm in the district. In 1973 he graduated from a school run by the Salesians. He was inspired by the movie Boys Town and went on to train as a teacher. He has worked as a teacher, youth worker, probation officer, residential care worker and principal of the charity Boy's Town.{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/queensland/conversations/stories/s1640812.htm |title=Father Chris Riley and Eddie Perfect |date=17 May 2006 |work=The Backyard: Stories |publisher=ABC (Australia) |accessdate=8 December 2011 |author=Trevorrow, Mark |authorlink=Mark Trevorrow }} In 1982 he was ordained a priest at Oakleigh, Victoria.

Riley is the founder and CEO of Youth Off The Streets and has worked with disadvantaged youth for more than 35 years in a variety of roles including teacher, youth worker, probation officer, residential carer and principal. He officially founded Youth Off The Streets in 1991.

As CEO of Youth Off The Streets, Riley oversees the operation of over 25 programs which employ over 180 staff and involve more than 250 volunteers. He has implemented innovative behaviour modification strategies to help young people deal with a history of trauma, abuse and neglect. Many of these strategies have been adopted by schools across Australia and by government agencies. Riley believes there is no such thing as a "child born bad", but acknowledges that there are bad environments, circumstances and families that impact negatively on our young. "We must have the courage to demand greatness from our youth".{{citation needed|date=October 2012}}

Riley founded Youth Off The Streets (YOTS) in 1991 with a food van delivering meals to homeless youth in the Kings Cross area in Sydney. Since then the organisation has grown to offer more than 35 services, including aboriginal programs, crisis accommodation, alcohol and other drug services, counselling, accredited high schools, outreach, residential programs and a mentoring program. The organisation is non-denominational and works for young people who are homeless, drug dependent and recovering from abuse.Youth Off The Streets, 2012, {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130102070150/http://foundation.youthoffthestreets.com.au/OurStory |date=2 January 2013 }}, viewed 19 October 2012.

Riley makes frequent media appearances on behalf of YOTS, including a weekly radio segment broadcast on 2UE in Sydney and 2CC in Canberra.{{cn|date=February 2023}}

In the decade from 2000 to 2009, Youth Off The Streets received $3.5 million in donations from the Australian gambling industry, particularly poker machines.{{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/newsmaker-christopher-keith-riley-20111209-1ondb.html |title=Newsmaker: Christopher Keith Riley |author=McKenny, Leesha |work=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=10 December 2011 |accessdate= 11 December 2011 }}

Riley lobbied against the taxation of gambling, stating that "the Government won't fund services like mine and are now also attacking the revenues that we previously did have available." With respect to his position on the effect of gambling on society, in 2003 he stated in a radio interview, "I acknowledge that the great problem facing the community is people who are addicted to gambling and I call for the clubs to put in place systems and supports to help people fight this addiction."{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2003/s958024.htm |title=Protest against NSW pokie tax |work=PM |publisher=ABC Radio |location=Australia |date=1 October 2003 |accessdate=8 December 2011 |author=Grimm, Nick }}{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA20060328021 |title=Gaming Machine Tax |date=28 March 2006 |accessdate=8 December 2011 |work=Hansard: Legislative Assembly |publisher=parliament of New South Wales |author=Hopwood, Judy |authorlink=Judy Hopwood |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604065711/http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA20060328021 |archivedate=4 June 2011 }}

In December 2011, it was revealed that Riley had lent his name in support of a campaign by Clubs Australia against proposed mandatory precommitment limits for poker machines. Riley expressed his concern saying that a better way to tackle problem gambling was treatment and counselling, not legislation.{{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/pokie-clubs-play-an-ace-in-battle-to-prevent-changes-20111206-1oha5.html |title=Pokie clubs play an ace in battle to prevent changes |author=Coorey, Phillip |work=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=7 December 2011 |accessdate= 8 December 2011 }}{{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/why-i-joined-clubs-fight-against-pokie-reform-father-chris-20111207-1ohvp.html# |title=Why I joined clubs' fight against pokie reform: Father Chris |author=Gardiner, Stephanie |work=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=7 December 2011 |accessdate= 8 December 2011 }}

In 2006, Riley was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for service to disadvantaged youth through the establishment of Youth Off The Streets and the development of a range of assistance and mentoring initiatives for adolescents and to the welfare of children overseas through humanitarian assistance efforts.{{cite web |title=Riley, Chris Keith |work=It's an Honour |publisher=Commonwealth of Australia |date=12 June 2006 |accessdate=8 December 2011 |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1132971 }} In 2006, he also received the Human Rights Medal from the then Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (shared with broadcaster Phillip Adams).{{cite news |title=Father Riley wins human rights award |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=7 December 2006 |accessdate=8 December 2011 |agency=AAP

|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/NATIONAL/Father-Riley-wins-human-rights-award/2006/12/07/1165081072340.html }}

On 20 April 2010, Riley was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Western Sydney in recognition of his work.{{cite press release |url=http://pubapps.uws.edu.au/news/index.php?act=view&story_id=2674 |accessdate=10 December 2011 |title=Father Chris Riley receives UWS honorary doctorate |date=21 April 2010 |publisher=University of Western Sydney |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415124543/http://pubapps.uws.edu.au/news/index.php?act=view&story_id=2674 |archivedate=15 April 2012 }}

In 2012, Riley was nominated as NSW Australian of the Year for his work with disadvantaged youth.{{cite web|title=Father Chris Riley AM|url=https://www.australianoftheyear.org.au/recipients/chris-riley/819/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120213413/https://www.australianoftheyear.org.au/recipients/chris-riley/819/|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 January 2021|work=australianoftheyear.org.au|accessdate=6 February 2022}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.youthoffthestreets.com.au Youth Off The Streets website ]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080722084156/http://www.bellaboobabe.com/story/090608/297/inside-access-with-fr-chris-riley-youth-off-the-streets Inside access with Fr Chris Riley: Youth Off the Streets] - an interview with Riley, published in Bellaboobaba on 9 June 2008
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080722083122/http://www.bellaboobabe.com/story/100608/301/teen-life-hope-on-the-street Teen life: hope on the street] - an article about Key College founded by Riley, published in Bellaboobaba on 10 June 2008

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Category:Australian Roman Catholic priests

Category:Salesians of Don Bosco

Category:Members of the Order of Australia

Category:1954 births

Category:Probation and parole officers

Category:Living people

Category:Date of birth missing (living people)

Category:People from Echuca

Category:University of Divinity alumni