Winona women stock Little Free Libraries with tools to prevent and reverse overdose

WINONA, Minn. (FOX 9) - Every day in the U.S., more than 225 people die from opioid overdoses, crushing families across the country. But some of the survivors in a small Minnesota town are taking a unique approach to fighting back.

Atypical Free Little Libraries

They're not your typical Free Little Library filled simply with books.

"I put Narcan and fentanyl test strips in there on Friday," said Sara Copeland. "They were gone within 24 hours."

About twice a week, Copeland stocks three of the community libraries with the tools to prevent and reverse opioid overdose.

One of them is outside the house where her son, Anthony, died from fentanyl 18 months ago.

She grieves alongside Malia Fox and Sera Schuh, who also lost sons Josh and Nick in the last two years.

Opioid overdose prevention and reversal

The Winona women teamed up as the nonprofit RIPple to give people easy access 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"Time is of the essence," said Fox. "People make wrong decisions."

As we interviewed them, they spotted two women who took Narcan from the library Nick built just before he died.

"Just in case," one of them told us.

Accessible Narcan important

In the state of Minnesota in 2022, more than 800 people died from fentanyl overdoses. In this town of 26,000, eleven people have died from fentanyl in the last three years.

Local police keep it with them on patrol, and they’ve used it six times this year.

They like the idea of Free Little Library owners having the option to add it.

"I applaud them for allowing it, and I'm supportive of it because I know it saves lives," said Winona's assistant police chief Jay Rasmussen.

"We want everyone to be a first responder, and we do really try to educate people that this could happen anywhere," Fox said.

The women also tour schools to talk about the grief fentanyl can cause and the creative solution they’ve now made available in about 20 places just off the sidewalk all around town.

Legacy of Loved Ones Lost

"I have to save lives because Josh said to me, 'people are dying of fentanyl and no one's talking about it'," said Fox. "So we have to do this."

"I think [Nick] would be just so proud of what it's doing now," said Schuh. "Like I said, even if one of those boxes of Narcan saves one life. That's amazing."