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Building Community through Compassion and Creativity
In Loving Memory of Deborah Elaine Inglis
March 2, 1971 - November 13, 2017
Deb was an intelligent, caring, beautiful, funny, sensitive, and authentic soul who was too kind for this world. She was a loving and supportive mother, an empathetic and strong leader, and a thoughtful, genuine friend who touched the lives of so many.
Deb quietly battled severe depression and bipolar disorder throughout her adulthood. She was a passionate advocate for mental health support, always caring deeply for others even when it became hard for her to care for herself. Our sweet Deb died by suicide on November 13th of 2017 and since then, the world has felt a little less bright.
Deb loved art, she spent her downtime creating and appreciating art in every way. From the captivating, thoughtful paintings she made for her own enjoyment to the countless photos, textiles, and posters that decorated the walls of her family’s home. She was so inspired by music, cinema, and everything creative and in turn - she has inspired us.
Deb's Circle strives to uplift women's mental health by providing access to therapeutic wellness treatments. Our purpose at Deb's Circle is to foster emotional well-being through connection, creativity, and counselling. We seek to build a compassionate community and offer resources to support women who are struggling.
Programs and supportive sessions are focused on early prevention and establishing mutual support groups. We offer these resources to women to help each person develop coping skills and build the confidence and resilience necessary to enhance self awareness.
We seek to achieve this through the various wellness programs we offer to the community free of charge. Check out our current wellness programs here.
Make a donation
Help us launch Deb's Circle!
Every dollar counts!
Your donation helps fund the wellness programs we offer free of charge for participants. Designed and delivered by qualified professionals, these programs supporting women's mental wellness are the heart of Deb's Circle.
Tax receipts will be issued for Donations over $20.00 .
Charitable Registration Number: 79235 8665 RR0001
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One time
Monthly
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Support for Deb's Circle is support for Women's Mental Wellness
Our Board Members
Esther Inglis, CPA
Founder and Chair
Esther is a Certified Public Accountant. With a career in financial services that spanned thirty years, Esther experienced continual progressive advancement and responsibility in the areas of finance, human resources, physical plant, computing and telecommunications operations and related policy development. She was well-known for her integrity and her ability to collaborate, as well as for her skill in revenue generation, budgeting, project planning and strategic planning. In 2001, Esther became the Owner and President of the Gallery-on-the-Lake in Buckhorn, Ontario. Esther revitalized this business, turning the gallery into one of Canada's largest retail galleries, representing some of Canada's best artists in contemporary, traditional, impressionistic and high realism art. Deep in grief after her daughter's death, Esther was struggling to find a way to make sense of what had happened and to find purpose in life. Through a grief support group, Esther began to learn more about suicide, which led her to offer a poster presentation at the Canadian Mental Health Association conference in 2018. This experience prompted Esther to search for other ways she could raise awareness and create opportunities to enhance women's mental wellness through compassion, creativity and community as a form of suicide prevention, which led her to found Deb's Circle.
Yan Gong, MBA; BA (Accounting)
Yan has extensive experience as an accountant with the Xuzhou Coal Mining Group and Shanghai Huamei Investment Management Co., Ltd. She has expertise in the following areas: budgeting, financial analysis, financial reporting, invoices, payments, and bank reconciliations, as well as maintenance of accounting records.
Brenda Ferris, RN
Program Director
Brenda was a hospital and community nurse of 20 years, entrepreneur and businesswoman. After retiring from nursing, she started a consulting business in change management, which lasted for 32 years. Throughout her career as well as volunteering, she believes that communication is key to any organization. Brenda is an advocate for community building, environmental and social initiatives. She continues to look for new opportunities to engage in and enjoys being a grandmother of 2 lively boys.
Sita Jane Gribben
Secretary
Sita Jane has extensive administrative experience and a passion for mental health advocacy. Sita grew up in Toronto and is Deb's only child. She was deeply affected after her mothers passing, and after many years of grieving she feels ready to do her part in preventing future losses like these. Sita has been so moved by the hard work and dedication that her grandmother Esther has put in with Deb's Circle and was delighted when she had the opportunity to join the team.