Meet Our Staff

Malik is fun, social and personable and we are proud to call him our Executive Director. Making a big move to Ottawa in the 80's from Beirut, Lebanon he started out at Notre Dame High School where many of our youth currently attend. Malik pursued post secondary education at Carleton University where he earned a triple major in Psychology, Sociology and Anthropology...Go Ravens! Malik started his journey with The Door back in 2002 where he worked as a Youth Worker and later progressed to the role of Floor Supervisor, and Outreach Coordinator. In 2004 he took the position of Executive Director and has since transformed the casual drop-in centre into an amazing spot for youth to take part in recreational, educational and social programs. The ongoing passion he has about both community and youth development makes him a great advocate; encouraging equal opportunities for all notwithstanding their socio-economic or family structure.

Nadira plays a pivotal role as previously being our Youth Supervisor with over a year of experience and the current Acting Program Coordinator at The Door. Having completed her bachelor's degree in psychology at Carleton University, she possesses a deep-rooted passion for helping others, making her an ideal fit for our organization Her extensive background working in non-profit organizations and providing client-oriented services has equipped her with the skills necessary to support and guide individuals in need. She finds great satisfaction in The Door's supportive and empowering environment, where she can witness firsthand the positive impact on the lives of the youth that are served at the centre.

Gleeda D’Silva is currently the Youth Supervisor. She is an experienced social worker, who has almost a decade’s experience. She has a Master’s in Social Work concentrated on children, disability, education and policy. She has since worked with several organizations on programs that deliver support to young minds needing help in different settings through specialized programs. Over the years, Gleeda has worked with organizations that have dealt with school programs, residential programs (foster homes) and after-school programs. In this period, she has monitored the progress of over 400 school going children, designed and implemented creative learning curriculums for children with learning disabilities and concentrated on developing an alternate learning approach for children who have no academic learning support back home. She has also co-founded an organization that provided after-school support to first generation learners from the grave-digging community in India. Gleeda volunteered at the centre for a year and has now taken up this position. She is driven by her commitment to work for the future generation and empowering them in order to contribute positively to the society at large. She looks forward to doing the same through this project.

Susan (Sue) Agobia is currently the Program Coordinator for The Door Youth Centre. In her role, she leads a team of volunteers and staff that is responsible for coordinating after-school programs for youths in the Ottawa-Centre area. Sue joined The Door in August 2021 and has since helped in managing daily and weekly activities, as well as organizing monthly workshops. She holds a double B.A. in Developmental Studies and Sociology from St. Francis-Xavier University. Prior to joining The Door, Susan worked with various international and local non-profit organizations in Canada and Uganda ranging from social issues, such as homelessness, to film and fashion. She has a passion for social work and is continuing to develop a career as a social worker. She currently resides in Gatineau and her interests include painting, swimming, scriptwriting, travelling, and philanthropy.

Also goes by Najwa, has been volunteering at The Door Youth Centre since 2015 by assisting with various community dinners and many fundraising events. In 2020 an employment opportunity as a Kitchen Supervisor became available at the centre and she was more than happy to join The Door's small team. The youth are currently enjoying her amazing cooking on a daily basis and of course asking for seconds.

Elijah began his time at The Door as a placement student and worked his way up to becoming a youth worker. He heard about The Door through Carleton University, where he is currently studying for his Bachelor's in social work. The programs and resources offered for the youth sparked his interest in joining The Door for his placement. Elijah is hard-working, positive, and helpful. He has experience working with youths and children at summer camps as a camp counselor and schools as a teacher's assistant. As a placement student, he had enjoyed working with the youth and supporting them. According to Elijah, working at The Door as a placement student has provided him with an opportunity to learn so much from the youth. Elijah is excited to continue to interact, support, and learn from the youths as a youth worker.

As a former youth member Evan used to come to The Door almost everyday since he was 12. He always aspired to become a Youth Worker at The Door when he got older. After volunteering countless hours over the years, and later doing his Co-op placement at The Door, he achieved his goal. As of 2018 Evan has been a Youth Worker and has gone above and beyond to support and have fun with youth at the centre. Evan is a positive influence on the youth and is always willing to lend a helping hand to all. In his own words "The Door is family".