Sydney, Australia, 10 August 2022 -- Launched by Fr Chris Riley, SDB some 30 years ago, the 'Youth Off the Streets' (YOS) comprehensive service network for the youth at risk, is journeying with the vulnerable young people and young adults of Sydney, New South Wales (Australia).
Father Chris has been committed to supporting young people since his teens. Prior to establishing Youth Off The Streets in 1991, he worked as a teacher, youth worker, probation officer, residential carer and school principal. Fr Riley has always believed that there is no such thing as a “child born bad”, but instead there are harmful environments, circumstances and families that can negatively impact a young person. His vision was to empower young people experiencing disadvantage by providing strengths-based strategies and positive options to help them build a better future for themselves. From modest beginnings, Father Riley spent the next three decades growing Youth Off The Streets into a leading non-denominational youth services organisation.
Don Bosco House, Youth Off The Streets’ first refuge in Sydney’s Inner West, opened its doors in April 1991. In 1996, Father Riley opened Key College in Redfern, the first Youth Off The Streets high school for young people who had become disconnected from mainstream education. Father Riley went on to expand educational services within Youth Off The Streets to include six accredited independent high schools across Greater Sydney, the Illawarra region and the NSW Central Coast.
He also developed and implemented innovative strategies to help young people deal with trauma, abuse and neglect. Many of these strategies have been adopted by schools and government agencies across Australia. Youth Off The Streets now offers a wide range of integrated support services and programs for young people and families, enabled and delivered by more than 200 staff and a community of over 330 dedicated volunteers.
In the recent 'Homeless Week', one Sydney newspaper (The Sydney Morning Herald) quoted: "Lex Lutherborrow, the chief executive of Youth Off the Streets, said family breakdown and conflict more broadly – not necessarily including violence – was the biggest driver of youth homelessness. “Young people tend not to be the ones that you see on the street,” she said. “They’re either in temporary accommodation or crisis accommodation shelters or sleeping in cars or tents or they couch-surf, staying with a friend or extended family until they outstay their welcome.”
According the YOTS website and reports, every single year more then 3700 young people are supported by the services (2021 report). The 30-yearstory of Fr Chris and his 'Youth Off the Streets' (YOTS) is really inspiring for the incoming world level Salesian Congress (Valdocco September-October 2022) on the Salesian Mission for the Youth in Need.
Resources:
- Youth Off the Streets - digital visibility (Website)
- Youth Off the Streets - digital visibility (FB)
Related news article:
- AustraLasia 5830 (I) Towards the Salesian world level meeting on Youth in Need (2022)
- AustraLasia 5844 (IV) 30 years of 'Youth Outreach' in Hong Kong, China
- AustraLasia 1582: Australia honors the Salesian working for street youth
- AustraLasia 1709: Youth Advocate shares Human right award with a broadcaster
- AustraLasia 755: Australia YOTS Conference with international experts
