Meet the Anchor Youth Space Sydney Team!
Cape Breton’s first Integrated Youth Services site to launch this summer
Anchor Youth Space Sydney team, left to right: Breagh MacDermid (Community Outreach Worker), Grace Connolly (Youth Support Worker), Alistair (Al) Cusack (Youth Support Worker), Corrie Bunin (Family Support Worker), Rabiat Yusuf (Administrative Support Worker) and Amanda Rae Storteboom (Project Manager).
Construction is well underway to transform the first floor of the New Dawn Centre into a “one-stop shop” where youth and their caregivers can access a range of services – including primary healthcare, sexual health services, and mental health and substance use supports – without the need for appointments or fees.
In the meantime, we’ve been assembling the Anchor Youth Space Sydney team – a group of caring, energetic, knowledgeable people who are working on creating a physical space, programming, and a suite of service to support youth between the ages of 12 and 25 and their caregivers. This team will be the friendly faces you’ll be greeted by onsite every day, and will bring a range of unique skills and experiences to Anchor Sydney. We can’t wait for you to meet them!
Breagh MacDermid is Anchor’s Community Outreach Worker. She is a social worker with several years’ experience working with youth and their families and is excited to create connections that foster collaborative care for Cape Breton’s young population.
Al Cusack is a community program designer and facilitator with a background in sociology and the arts. He has experience working with youth throughout his career with a particular focus on 2SLGBTQIA+ youth. He joins Anchor as a Youth Support Worker. Prior to formally joining the team, Al worked with Anchor’s Youth and Caregiver Advisory Committees through the needs gathering and physical space design processes.
Grace Connolly also joins Anchor as a Youth Support Worker. She has several years’ experience working with vulnerable youth and families in the community. Grace looks forward to creating a fun and engaging space for youth in the CBRM.
Corrie Bunin joins the Anchor team as the Family Support Worker. With 15 years’ experience working in the community, and as a mother herself, she is looking forward to supporting families and caregivers who are navigating their youths’ wellness journey.
Rabiatu Yusuf has several years of experience working with youth and students as a Peer Success Mentor at Cape Breton University, where she supported students through transitions, built engagement, and helped create a welcoming campus environment. Now, as the Administrative Support Worker at Anchor, she’s excited to bring her love of organization and people to help keep things running smoothly and support the amazing work being done with youth in the CBRM.
Anchor Youth Space Sydney is part of a provincial Integrated Youth Services (IYS) initiative coordinated by IWK Health and is being developed at the New Dawn Centre, located at 37 Nepean Street, in collaboration with local organizations including Undercurrent Youth Society, BGC Cape Breton, and the Cape Breton Youth Project.
Stay tuned for details about Anchor Sydney’s launch event!
Learn more about the project here.
