We started as a volunteer group supporting the needle exchanges in Santa Cruz, Watsonville and Salinas. We raised funds to make sure they had enough needles and supplies.

When the Drop-In Center in Santa Cruz closed in September 2009, we were able to keep exchange happening in a parking lot four times a week. A couple of months later, we were able to buy the liability insurance required to be officially authorized by the County.

We hold regular fund raising events, we hustle donations, and over the last two years we've received grants from the Comer Foundation, the Syringe Access Fund, the North American Syringe Exchange Network (NASEN), the State Office of AIDS, and from County Public Health.

The County Health Services Agency supports us in many ways, for example, allowing us to use the County Health Outreach van (the one that was used for HIV testing before the funding was cut) for our exchange sites.

We're an independent all-volunteer group and our relationship with NASEN (our fiscal sponsor) allows us to accept grants and donations as a 501(c)3 organization.

We exchange syringes (new for used) and provide other safe injection supplies. We provide free condoms, referrals to drug treatment programs, HIV and HEPC testing, and many other harm reduction services, including an overdose prevention (Narcan) program.