A movement born from loss, led with purpose—dedicated to bridging the gap between detox and real recovery across Boston.
Renarda Huggins is the Founder & CEO of Winnin Against Addiction. She brings a powerful combination of lived experience, clinical training, and community leadership to her work, with a deep commitment to long-term recovery, advocacy, and empowerment.
Their deaths didn't break her. They defined her purpose.
She vowed to create the support system they needed — and the one thousands still need today.
Winnin' Against Addiction has been formally recognized by the City of Boston through an official City Council resolution honoring five years of sustained community impact.
This recognition reflects the trust placed in our mission, our leadership, and the people we serve across Boston communities.
In 2024, Winnin Against Addiction received a one-time $10,000 donation from RIZE Massachusetts in recognition of the organization's ongoing recovery-focused work and community impact across the Commonwealth.
This support helped fund summer programming and the organization's annual Gala, strengthening peer-led recovery initiatives and community engagement efforts.
Growing up with parents battling addiction, Renarda believed that education and compassion could change lives. She dreamed of opening a program where her parents could get clean and maybe even work alongside her.
Life went a different way — and their passing became the spark behind a movement built on a simple truth:
"Each won, reach won, teach won."
No one rises alone.
Winnin' Against Addiction was created from lived experience and professional expertise — a blend of heart and clinical grounding that shapes everything we do.
WAA is a boots-on-the-ground movement focused on bridging the gap between short-term treatment and real, long-term recovery.
We meet people where they are and walk with them through the hardest parts of their journey.
What We Provide:
We show up — not just when it's easy, but when it matters most.
Five years ago, we led the first Walk for Addiction on Methadone Mile — something Boston had never seen before.
People told us it wasn't possible.
Too dangerous.
Too unpredictable.
Too much stigma.
But we knew exactly why it had to happen there.
That walk changed everything. It brought visibility, dignity, and community to a place most people try to avoid.
Three individuals from that very first walk — who were living directly on Mass Ave at the time — are now clean, sober, and working with us.
The walk isn't an event. It's a message:
You are not forgotten.
You are not invisible.
You are not alone.
Every year since, thousands have joined us — and the movement continues to grow.
We are building the next chapter of Winnin' Against Addiction: a permanent Family Support Academy for individuals and families navigating addiction, grief, healing, and recovery.
The Academy Will Offer:
Our goal is to move from a volunteer-led movement to a sustainable institution that changes generational cycles — not just for moments, but for lifetimes.
Director of Administrations
Michelle Winbush is 11 years sober—and she'll be the first to tell you recovery saved her life. Born and raised in Boston, Michelle knows what it's like to fight for your second chance. That's why she leads Winnin Against Addiction's day-to-day operations with the same grit, grace, and compassion that got her through her own journey. She's proof that transformation isn't just possible—it's happening every day. And she's here to make sure you have the support to make it happen for you, too.
Every person deserves dignity
Recovery is built in community
We show up where others won't
We stay through the hard moments
Healing generations to come
Every life touched begins with a moment of hope. Stand with us as we build a community where recovery is possible — and dignity is non-negotiable.