Sanguen Health Centre Foundation

About Sanguen Health Centre

Sanguen Health Centre is a community-based, not-for-profit health agency dedicated to promoting dignity, health and safety for people who use drugs, people who are unhoused, and historically underserved individuals across Waterloo Region and Guelph-Wellington. 

Our work is rooted in a harm-reduction philosophy: we believe that everyone deserves access to health, support and respect, regardless of their circumstances. Through mobile outreach, peer-led support and comprehensive services — including harm reduction supplies, safer substance use education, testing and treatment for infectious diseases, and referrals to social supports — Sanguen works to reduce harm, connect people to care, and build healthier communities.

One of Sanguen’s core outreach initiatives is the WINS Program.

What is the WINS Program?

WINS (Working to Improve Neighbourhood Safety) is a peer-based needle recovery and harm reduction outreach program run by Sanguen, in partnership with Region of Waterloo Public Health and the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo. WINS launched as a pilot in Cambridge in April 2018, and following success there, expanded to include Kitchener and Waterloo. 

WINS hires and trains Peer Outreach Workers who are individuals with lived or living experience, to safely locate and dispose of improperly discarded syringes and harm reduction supplies (e.g. used sharps, glass pipes), and to provide education about safe disposal. They also offer support and connect individuals to social services or health resources. 

The goals of WINS include:

• Reducing the number of discarded needles and harmful debris in our public spaces. 
• Educating individuals who use substances (and the broader community) about safe disposal practices. 
• Providing meaningful, dignified employment opportunities for people who often face barriers to traditional work.
• Promoting a community-wide shift towards compassion, harm reduction, and shared responsibility. 

Over the years, WINS has become a trusted presence across the region — Peer Outreach Workers not only clean up sharps, but build relationships, offer support, provide harm reduction supplies, and connect people to services. Each year, WINS Peers disposed of thousands of used sharps and pipes, while also making connections of supportive contacts and referrals across the community. 

Gear for Peers 

WINS Peer Outreach Workers are out on the streets daily and often in harsh weather. Peers rely on their own personal gear to stay safe and do their job. Many have served for years, braving rain, snow, cold, and long shifts to care for communities often forgotten and underserved.

With Gear for Peers, we want to make their important work a little bit easier. This campaign aims to raise $5,250 to provide essential winter gear (boots, insulated gloves, jackets) for all 15 WINS Peers. With the right gear, they can continue to work safely, with comfort and regardless of weather conditions.

By equipping peers properly, we not only protect their health and safety — we also ensure outreach work continues uninterrupted, which means consistent support for hundreds of community members relying on harm reduction and support, all while fostering a more professional, sustainable, and caring workforce.

How You Can Help

Join us in supporting Gear for Peers through the 26km to 2026 fundraising event hosted by Runners' Choice Waterloo. Every donation counts and your contribution ensures that those who show up for our most vulnerable neighbours can do so with the warmth, dignity and protection they deserve.

Thank you for standing with us and helping build a safer, more caring Waterloo Region.

*Please allow 5-10 business days after the event for your donation tax receipt to be processed and issued.