On March 13, 2024, NorWest Co-op Community Health became the first site in Manitoba to launch a “smart” vending machine called “Our Healthbox.”
What is Our Healthbox? It’s an interactive dispensing system that provides free access to harm reduction supplies and general health and hygiene products. It also offers healthcare information and a services directory, helping people find the care they need in their community without judgment.
Our Healthbox includes free items such as injection kits, inhalation kits, sharps disposal containers, naloxone kits, HIV self-testing kits, COVID-19 kits, sexual health kits (condoms and lube), pregnancy tests, menstrual packs, hygiene kits, first aid kits, smudge kits, seasonal items like socks, snacks, and water.
The machine works like a vending machine but is entirely free, aiming to serve the community better and enhance access to healthcare supports and connections. Our Healthbox provides safe, clean supplies to reduce the transmission of blood-borne infections and aims to decrease overdose fatalities, empowering clients to control their health.
Harm Reduction is a strategic priority at NorWest and part of our Quality Improvement Plan.
At NorWest, we believe in engaging our community in cooperative health and wellness, enabling the community to take control of their health. We are committed to justice, promoting health equity by creating a safe, inclusive space for everyone. We listen, learn, advocate for the community, and provide respectful, non-judgmental capacity-building services.
Our Healthbox offers low-barrier access to essential health items, helping community members know they can rely on NorWest for supplies. This builds relationships and trust, allowing us to support more complex needs like chronic disease, housing, mental health, and addictions.
Harm Reduction is a strategic priority at NorWest and part of our Quality Improvement Plan. NorWest has a harm reduction committee supporting this initiative. Increasing access to harm reduction supplies is a recognized need within our community. With the opioid crisis in Canada, Manitoba, like other provinces, has struggled with substance use and its challenges for many years.
The rise in opioid use has led to overdose deaths and the increased spread of infectious diseases like Hepatitis C and HIV. By providing easy, safe, and free access to harm reduction supplies, we aim to assist those who face barriers within the health system.
Thanks to partnerships and donations from United Way Winnipeg, Southern Chiefs Organization, and Street Connections, this initiative will raise community awareness, address service gaps, and build a healthier, more vibrant Inkster community.
We are working together to change perceptions of substance use and open new pathways for collaboration and integration, promoting harm reduction and healthcare conversations at NorWest and across Canada.
As the first Healthbox in Manitoba, we hope to make a significant difference and be part of a movement that shares our ideals and values for a stronger, healthier community.
About the Organization:
NorWest Co-op Community Health is a forerunner in taking a multi-service, holistic team approach to health care by providing a wide range of health-related services including medical care, counseling, education, community outreach, early learning and childcare. NorWest is the only non-profit community-based health agency in the Inkster area and has served the community since 1972. As the only healthcare co-operative in Manitoba, NorWest Co-op Community Health is committed to working with the individuals who access our programs and services, our neighbours, other healthcare providers and our partners to offer a variety of programs and services.
Norwest Coop Community Health acknowledges that we operate our services on Treaty One territory, the traditional land of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Ojibway, Dakota, Dene, and Oji-Cree peoples and the homeland of the Metis Nation. We also acknowledge that, in Winnipeg, we receive our water from Shoal Lake First Nation and we express our deep gratitude for the sharing of this essential natural resource.
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