First-ever Calgary Pop-Up Care Village helps the homeless
Maria Derman sleeps at the Mustard Seed Shelter.
Tuesday afternoon, she was at Olympic Plaza attending the first-ever Calgary Pop-Up Care Village (C-PUCV), where she was getting her nails done by students from MC College.
If you met her on the street, you’d be hard-pressed to know Derman was homeless.
“Because I don't dress like it. I dress the way I dress. People come up to me, ‘Can you help me with some spare change?’ I go, 'You know what? I'm homeless, too.' (They say), 'Oh, I'm sorry.' No, no, don't be sorry. This is how it is,” said Derman.
“I did have housing, but when they put up your rent, what are you going to pay? Are you going to pay your rent, or are you going to buy food?"
Derman is one of hundreds of unhoused Calgarians attending C-PUCV, which offered help for those affected by homelessness and addiction, and offered immediate access to basic services ranging from health care to haircuts.
Maria Derman was at Olympic Plaza attending the first ever Calgary Pop-Up Care Village, where she was getting her nails done by students from MC College.
C-PUCV is modelled after LavaMae’s Pop-Up Care Village in the San Francisco Bay Area.
More than simply an information fair, the event is designed to be a festival including activities and entertainment.
Bill Zheng, a first-year nursing student at the University of Calgary, co-ordinated C-PUCV for BeTheChangeYYC.
He says they hope to bridge the gap between unhoused Calgarians and the wider community.
“They don't just want food, they don't just want shelter. They're also human beings who want other stuff that we also enjoy,” said Zheng.
“We're coming to the same level, and we're communicating on the same spectrum. We can be like, 'Hey, how's it going? Do you need anything? We'll get you the stuff that you need. And you are essentially a guest here.'”
If you met her on the street, you’d be hard-pressed to know Maria Derman was homeless.
Daniel Doucet sleeps under a bridge on the outskirts of downtown.
He picked up some free pizza, loaded his backpack with a few water bottles and some sunscreen, then spent time getting advice from Safeworks and 811 staff.
He says events like C-PUCV are important because they show that Calgarians actually see the homeless population as real people.
“Well, I think sometimes people are afraid because there's a stigma attached to a lot of homeless. You know, we're viewed in certain ways and some of us are there because of circumstance of life," said Doucet.
“When I'm panhandling, the most important thing is not always getting money, it’s people actually looking and smiling. That makes the world, you know, that acknowledgment.”
Diana Campbell and Jen Howarth of Hearts for Humanity.
Most days, the team from the tiny charity Hearts for Humanity hand out food and clothing to men and women sleeping rough outside the downtown core.
Tuesday, they were at C-PUCV distributing food, toiletries and harm-reduction devices like naloxone kits.
Diana Campbell, one of the team's organizers, says an event like C-PUCV was long overdue.
“I think we should do it more often, because I feel like there's such a need. (Unhoused Calgarians) need to know what's out there, what resources we have and who's out there helping," said Campbell.
"Homelessness is getting worse, and we definitely need more people to be helping us in different ways.
“These people are all humans, and they want to feel good about themselves. Sometimes we have really nice clothes like suits and dresses, and they take them and they feel good. It's important. It's about the humanity.”
Organizers of C-PUCV say the event was so successful, they're already planning a second one to be held in 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.