Pop-up care village brings together organizations to assist vulnerable Calgarians

The Calgary Pop-Up Care Village at the Kerby Centre placed dozens of organizations that assist vulnerable Calgarians under one roof.

Nearly 50 organizations came together downtown for a festival that aimed to support, assist and guide vulnerable Calgarians.

The Calgary Pop-Up Care Village at the Kerby Centre offered help to Calgarians facing homelessness, addiction, mental health issues, poverty, language or cultural barriers.

The event connected people to basic services including health care, clothing, food and case management.

Bill Zheng, a University of Calgary student, spearheaded the local initiative after being inspired by a similar event in San Francisco in 2021

"Overwhelmingly positive," said Zheng of the response to Calgary's pop-up care village. "That's all I can say. It was supposed to be a pilot project but the reason why we're continuing it to twice a year event is because we have so much positive feedback from our vendors, volunteers and also our guests.

The next pop-up care village is scheduled to take place at Olympic Plaza on Sept. 27.