Br Kevin Friel and Br. Geoff Kelly

Br Geoff Kelly was presented with the Perkins Award by Catholic Social Services, Australia and Br Kevin Friel was awarded Excellence in Teaching Award from Catholic Education Office Sydney, Australia.
Br Geoff Kelly FMS, Coordinator of Marist Youth Care (MYC), Black¬town, was presented with the Perkins Award by Catholic Social Services Australia.
The citation recognises his work as a leader in providing residential care for high-risk and homeless youth through MYC during a period when other agencies were aban¬doning residential care for problem youth as being too difficult.
Today in western Sydney, MYC manages between 50 and 60 youths in residence, working in collaboration with other agencies and the Department of Community Services.
Dealing with youth who are seen as intractable in behav¬iour is high-risk work with little immediate results, but Br Geoff said the benefits to society were tangible.
An advocate of ?tough love? and clear boundary setting in the daily management of youth with major problems, Br Geoff?s work as a youth carer has always been informed by his Christianity and his Marist mission to the poor and marginalized.
Br Geoff has worked at MYC for 29 years and is also a member of the Diocese of Parramatta?s Social Justice Ex¬ecutive. At the end of this year he will retire from his role at MYC to take up another Marist ministry in the Philippines preparing for new projects throughout South-East Asia.

Br. Kevin was awarded the Professor B.H. Neumann Award by the Australian Mathematics Trust in 1997 for his contribution to Mathematics education. Brother Kevin Friel has been teaching for over fifty years and has specialized in the teaching of Senior Mathematics.
Br. Kevin loves teaching. His willingness to extend his students in the classroom, to show a personal interest in each student, to embrace new methods and teaching styles, to be involved in Senior Retreats and to act as a peer-mentor to other teachers, make him a most worthy recipient of this prestigious Award.