Illustration of a welcoming community festival beneath golden and red autumn trees

Bringing housed and unhoused Calgarians together.

Explore our initiativesOur story

We are a Calgary nonprofit working to bridge the divide between housed and unhoused Calgarians.

As conflicts around homelessness grow, so does the disconnect between our communities. Through community festivals and leadership programs, we bring people together to challenge stigma, build relationships, and work toward a Calgary where dignity and respect are non-negotiable, regardless of living circumstances.

Our programming
Two initiatives. One shared purpose.

Our Initiatives

We bring housed and unhoused Calgarians together through two connected initiatives: a youth fellowship that develops the next generation of community leaders, and an annual summer festival that puts community-building into action.

The Calgary Care Village

Calgary Care Village

Formerly the Calgary Pop-Up Care Village (C-PUCV)

The Calgary Care Village is an annual summer festival that brings housed and unhoused Calgarians together. What started as a one-stop shop for essential services has grown into a festival that combines practical resources, live entertainment, and shared experiences to build connections between communities that rarely interact.

Support, with dignity.
Health & social resources

We bring together dozens of community organizations in one place to provide free healthcare, haircuts, clothing, food, and other essential services to Calgarians experiencing homelessness and poverty. Our goal is to make accessing support easier, more welcoming, and more dignified.

Room for joy.
Live music & entertainment

The Care Village is more than a resource fair. Through live music, cultural performances, arts, and recreational activities, we create a festival atmosphere where everyone can have fun, celebrate, and enjoy experiences that are often inaccessible to people experiencing poverty.

Meet beyond our differences.
Building bridges

Too often, housed and unhoused Calgarians encounter one another in moments of conflict. The Care Village creates opportunities for people from different walks of life to meet, share experiences, and build relationships outside of those circumstances. Through these interactions, we hope to challenge stigma and foster greater understanding and respect.

Discover the festival
AI illustration of neighbours sharing an autumn community festival in Calgary
AI illustration of young adults learning together beneath autumn trees in Calgary
The inaugural Care Village Fellowship

Care Village Fellowship

Want to help shape the future of the Calgary Care Village? Join us for an eight-month experiential learning program where you'll learn about community-building, develop your leadership skills through hands-on experiences and mentorship, and work alongside other young Calgarians to plan and deliver the annual Calgary Care Village. Each year, we welcome 5–7 young adults aged 18–30 who want to make a difference in their communities.

Community Engagement Foundations
January – March 2027

Build relationships and explore what it means to create meaningful change in your community. Through workshops, community visits, mentorship, and Indigenous-led learning experiences, you’ll learn about Calgary’s homelessness-serving sector, peacebuilding, and community development.

Leadership Action Studio
March – August 2027

Turn your learning into action! Working alongside other fellows, you’ll develop your leadership skills by engaging community partners, coordinating volunteers, and collaboratively planning the 2027 Calgary Care Village. You’ll receive ongoing mentorship while taking ownership of different parts of the project.

Calgary Care Village
August 2027

Bring months of learning and planning to life by delivering the 2027 Calgary Care Village! You’ll help create a festival that brings housed and unhoused Calgarians together through essential services, live entertainment, and shared experiences — putting your leadership skills into practice while building connections across differences.

Ready to be a Care Village Fellow?
Applications close November 30, 2026.

Learn more & apply

Join Our Board of Directors

We're recruiting our inaugural Board of Directors.

We're looking for Calgarians with diverse experiences and perspectives to help guide Care Villages Collective as we work to bridge the divide between housed and unhoused communities.

Deadline to apply is January 1, 2027.

Learn more

Application form coming soon.

AI illustration of an autumn landscape in Calgary
Why we bother

Connection changes things.

Too often, housed and unhoused Calgarians find themselves in conflict with one another. Over the past five years, we set out to bring homelessness-serving organizations together in a one-stop shop: the Calgary Pop-Up Care Village. Along the way, we unintentionally created something more: a festival that brings housed and unhoused Calgarians together.

Now, we're doubling down on that work by creating more opportunities for housed and unhoused Calgarians to meet, challenge their assumptions about one another, and build relationships beyond moments of conflict.

Discover our story

Different lives. Shared humanity.

2027 inaugural fellowship

Your community.
Your next chapter.

Ready to be a Care Village Fellow?
Applications close November 30, 2026.

Apply for the fellowshipRead the application guide (PDF)