The Ezra Project

Impact Wisconsin has partnered with WisHope at 200 N. Main Street in Waupaca to establish the Community Living Room, a safe, peer-led alternative space for individuals experiencing mental health or substance use crises. This partnership allows us to bring a vital resource to the heart of our community, offering immediate, non-clinical support in a welcoming, home-like environment. By leveraging WisHope’s established presence and shared mission of recovery and wellness, we are creating a place where people can access peer support, de-escalate crisis situations, and be connected to longer-term services and resources. Together, we aim to reduce emergency room visits and law enforcement interventions, while providing compassionate, person-centered care that meets people where they are.

It’s Time to make an impact

In rural communities, access to behavioral health and recovery resources is often limited, and the systems that do exist can feel disconnected or overwhelming. The community living room bridges that gap by integrating peer support, housing navigation, harm reduction, and daily recovery meetings in a space that feels like home. It creates continuity of care outside of clinical settings and builds relationships rooted in trust, dignity, and lived experience.

Beyond individual care, the living room model fosters community healing. It breaks down the “us vs. them” mentality, encourages local ownership of the recovery process, and helps rebuild the social fabric often frayed by addiction and crisis. It’s not just about services—it’s about creating a space where the com