Community organizations unite to demand stronger protections for people who call 911 during an overdose emergency

APPLETON, WI — September 7, 2026 — What if calling 911 to save someone’s life could put your own freedom at risk?

That is the question at the center of a community gathering on Thursday, September 10, from 6–8 p.m. at Congregational United Church of Christ, 724 E. South River Street in Appleton, where the Wisconsin Good Samaritan Coalition, ProSay, WISDOM’s Transformational Justice campaign, and WISDOM affiliate ESTHER are joining together to raise awareness about Wisconsin’s inadequate protections for people who call for emergency help during an overdose.

The event, “Save a Life: Changing Wisconsin’s Overdose Laws,” will bring community members together to hear powerful personal stories, learn about Wisconsin’s current overdose laws, and explore how the state can remove barriers to calling 911 and save lives.

“No one should have to choose between saving a life and protecting their own freedom,” said organizers with the Wisconsin Good Samaritan Coalition. “When someone is experiencing an overdose, every second matters. Wisconsin’s laws should encourage people to call for help—not make them afraid to do it.”

Wisconsin does have a Good Samaritan law, but advocates say its protections are far too limited. Under current law, the person who calls for help may receive limited protection from prosecution for certain possession and paraphernalia offenses, but significant gaps remain. People experiencing an overdose themselves are not fully protected, and people on probation, parole, or extended supervision can face serious consequences that may discourage them from calling 911. (Wi Good Samaritan Coalition)

The Wisconsin Good Samaritan Coalition has warned that these gaps create confusion and fear at precisely the moment when people need to act quickly. The Coalition’s work brings together overdose survivors, families who have lost loved ones, healthcare and addiction professionals, and community advocates who share a common goal: making it safer for people to call 911 and stay with someone experiencing an overdose. (Wi Good Samaritan Coalition)

A statewide movement, rooted in local communities

ESTHER, WISDOM’s Fox Valley affiliate, is helping bring this conversation directly to the Appleton community. ESTHER’s Transformational Justice work focuses on creating communities where people can be healed and made whole and where alternatives to incarceration are prioritized. (ESTHER)

The organizations say their partnership is intentional. The Good Samaritan Coalition brings together families, survivors, healthcare professionals, and advocates with direct experience of the overdose crisis. ProSay brings the voices and experiences of people impacted by supervision. WISDOM brings a statewide faith-based organizing network and a transformational justice framework. ESTHER brings that organizing work directly into communities in the Fox Valley.

Together, they are working to build a statewide movement around one fundamental principle:

Saving a life should never be a crime.

The coalition is calling on Wisconsin lawmakers to strengthen the state’s Good Samaritan protections so that people who call for emergency assistance, provide lifesaving aid, and experience an overdose are protected from arrest, prosecution, and supervision consequences related to the overdose emergency.

Research and legislative analysis have found that stronger Good Samaritan laws can encourage people to seek emergency medical assistance and that arrest protections are particularly important to the effectiveness of these laws. (Wi Good Samaritan Coalition)

The Wisconsin Good Samaritan Coalition is urging Wisconsin residents to contact their elected representatives and support expanded immunity for people who call 911 during an overdose. (Wi Good Samaritan Coalition)

Join the conversation

WHAT: Save a Life: Changing Wisconsin’s Overdose Laws
WHEN: Thursday, September 10, 2026 | 6–8 p.m.
WHERE: Congregational United Church of Christ
ADDRESS: 724 E. South River Street, Appleton, WI 54915

The event will feature personal stories, information about Wisconsin’s current overdose laws, and an opportunity for community members to learn how they can help remove barriers to calling 911 and advocate for stronger protections.

Because when someone is dying, the right thing should be to call for help—and Wisconsin law should make it easier, not harder, to save a life.

About the organizations

Wisconsin Good Samaritan Coalition is a statewide coalition of families, overdose survivors, professionals, and advocates working to strengthen Wisconsin’s Good Samaritan protections and remove barriers to calling 911 during an overdose emergency. (Wi Good Samaritan Coalition)

ProSay provides peer advocacy for people on supervision and their loved ones throughout Wisconsin while working to transform punitive supervision policies and help people thrive in their communities. (ProSay)

WISDOM is a statewide network working for racial and economic justice and transformational change in Wisconsin’s criminal legal system. Its Transformational Justice campaign works to end mass incarceration, expand community-based alternatives, and reduce the harms of perpetual punishment. (WISDOM)

ESTHER is a Fox Valley-based WISDOM affiliate working through faith-based community organizing to address social injustice and advance transformational justice in the Appleton area. (WISDOM)