After 28 years of advocating for the most vulnerable, Debby Warren is set to retire.
She is the Executive Director of Ensemble Moncton, formerly known as AIDS Moncton.
Ensemble Moncton offers a safe injection site for those who need it, along with a needle distribution service and other support services for those who need it.
Warren says when she turned 70, she decided it was time to relax and enjoy her life.
“It’s been very, very hard the last three or four years when we’re dealing with this crisis, and it’s exhausting. It’s stressful, and I get angry. I don’t want to be angry. I’m tired of being angry. I’m exhausted,” Warren told our newsroom.
She adds she is not retiring because of the people she serves, because she really cares about them.
“The system is overwhelming. The system is so hard to get through to. I think when they turned Luke away that night, and what happened to Luke, that was when I finally said, I can’t take this anymore.”
Thirty-five-year-old Luke Landry was a homeless man found dead inside a washroom near Moncton City Hall in November 2022. His death left many outraged, stating that it could have been prevented.
Warren says she loves her job because she loves helping people and supporting them.
“I’ve had that opportunity over these years. It’s just that I’m tired, so I want someone who’s not as tired and who has the same kind of passion and hopes to help people. You can make a difference. Can you change the world overnight? No, you can’t, right? But you can make your difference.”
She says she has helped many who struggle in our communities, but she has seen them blossom as well.
“I have great satisfaction to know what we do as a team at Ensemble, we’re saving lives, we’re giving people hope, and we’re showing compassion to people. So whoever applies and ends up being the person that’s chosen will come to a very compassionate organization that’s solid. We’ve been around since 1989 just under a different name, but we’ve been around in the community for a long time,” Warren adds.
The process to find a replacement is already underway.
Warren’s official last day is December 31.
