BeTheChangeYYC
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Athena on her way to outreach shift with BeTheChangeYYC came across 2 overdoses before even arriving to outreach. Thankfully, she had been trained by our team to administer naloxone, had witnessed overdose responses before, and was carrying her naloxone kit.
Every BeTheChangeYYC volunteer receives extensive training before joining outreach shifts. Our team also has access to mental health supports and therapy resources for the trauma they may experience while helping others. We believe in caring for our team as they care for the community. Volunteer or not, everyone matters!!
The reality is this crisis did not happen overnight. What we are witnessing on Calgary’s streets is the direct consequence of decades of underfunding detox, recovery, mental health, housing & addiction infrastructure. People need on-demand treatment options that lead to stability, recovery & housing.
We can help save lives in the moment. We must also continue advocating for meaningful long-term solutions. Because everyone’s mental health matters. Everyone’s safety matters. From bystanders, to outreach workers, to those experiencing addiction and homelessness themselves.
Together, we can make Calgary better.
Please consider donating to support the cause. BeTheChangeYYC relies heavily on volunteers and community donations to operate outreach 4 nights a week across Calgary.
🧡 Donate here ❤️
www.bethechangeyyc.org/donate
05/24/2026
Today our outreach team at BeTheChangeYYC served 110 unhoused individuals across Calgary. ❤️
Our teams conducted numerous welfare checks, provided first aid support, distributed essential supplies, and connected individuals with referrals to housing, health, addiction, and community supports.
Thank you to every volunteer, donor, and supporter helping make this work possible. Because of you, we continue showing up for our community.
Learn about all the ways you can help:
www.bethechangeyyc.org
“Karen McPherson, the operations director of BeTheChangeYYC, says the drug supply is being cut with veterinary sedatives, which has led to the spike in overdose responses, adding that it also makes naloxone less effective.
“Opioids are often mixed in with other substances. So the naloxone buys a little bit of time in reversing the opioid, but it doesn’t reverse the sedative,” she said.
McPherson adds that her organization experienced unprecedented levels of demand in April, saying that for the first time, they had to administer naloxone four times in a four-hour shift.”
Donate to help: www.bethechangeyyc.org/donate
We’re incredibly grateful to share that BeTheChangeYYC’s new HQ construction permit has officially been approved and work is now underway.
A huge thank you to our amazing partners at Build 360 for donating construction support to help transform our new space into a functional home base for our outreach teams. Your generosity and belief in this mission means so much.
Throughout this transition, our outreach services have not stopped!!! We do not plan to stop. Our teams continue to hit the streets each week providing food, water, clothing, hygiene supplies, referrals, and support to vulnerable Calgarians.
Thank you to everyone supporting this cause. We truly cannot help end cycles of homelessness without our community standing beside us. We hope to be completed our move at end of month.
Learn more or support our work:
www.BeTheChangeYYC.org
05/18/2026
This weekend, our outreach teams served a total of 232 individuals across two shifts on Saturday and Sunday. ❤️
Through boots-on-the-ground outreach, we provided food, water, clothing, hygiene supplies, and program referrals focused on helping individuals end their cycles of homelessness and reconnect with supports.
This work is only possible because of our volunteers, donors, community partners, and supporters who stand with us every step of the way. Thank you for helping us make a real difference in Calgary. 🙏
Want to learn more or support our mission?
👉 Visit: www.BeTheChangeYYC.org
05/13/2026
Over the past several months, BeTheChangeYYC, has heard growing concern from community members & individuals experiencing homelessness about increased enforcement and displacement in Calgary’s downtown core. The screen shot attached is one example of this.
Many people are asking an important question:
“Where are people supposed to go when there still are not enough housing options, treatment spaces, mental health supports, or safe places available?”
At BeTheChangeYYC, we believe public safety and compassionate outreach must work together, not against one another. We will take these concerns directly to fellow community members at Calgary Police Service Chief and Calgary Police Service.
Police are often responding within a difficult reality created by larger systemic gaps in housing, addiction care, mental health services, and poverty supports. These are not issues policing alone can solve.
That is why we continue advocating for:
🏡 More supportive and affordable housing
🧠 Expanded mental health and addiction services
💵 Increased investment in prevention and intervention outreach
⭕️ Stronger collaboration between outreach teams, healthcare, social agencies, and public safety partners
Our outreach teams continue to see firsthand that relationship-based engagement, trust, and early intervention can reduce crisis situations and help connect people to supports before emergency systems are needed.
We remain committed to constructive dialogue and collaboration with all partners working toward safer and healthier communities for everyone.
👉 If you can contribute to help our program serve folks in need, please consider donating online here: www.bethechangeyyc.org/donate
04/30/2026
Josh and our volunteers headed out on Tuesday night, visiting folks around the downtown area and providing some snacks and water and connecting people with resources.
Living unhoused is hard on people; we're grateful to alleviate their circumstances a little, lend a compassionate ear and connect folks with resources they need
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Opening Hours
| Tuesday | 4:30pm - 9:30pm |
| Wednesday | 4:30pm - 9:30pm |
| Saturday | 2pm - 7pm |
| Sunday | 4:30pm - 9:30pm |
