Paige Hammond @paigesters , a community builder in 📍Shorewood, Wisconsin, began inviting women to her backyard sauna as a way to establish genuine human connection among her neighbors. What started as a simple invitation on Facebook grew into the Shorewood Women's Social, a network of low-pressure, in-person gatherings held across the neighborhood in both public and private spaces. Her experience taught her that community doesn't require institutional planning—it just takes one person willing to open their door and others willing to walk through it.
Read her story in the latest article at the link in our profile and today's stories: /article/a-womens-social-movement-that-started-with-a-sauna
At Project for Public Spaces, we had the honor of working with Paige, who is the Marketing & Communications Manager at Milwaukee Public Market @milwaukeepublicmarket , which was the co-host of the 12th International Public Markets Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2025.
📷 Women gathered at Paige Hammond's backyard sauna. Credit: Hannah Schroeder / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel @journalsentinel
📷 Paige's initiative gains steam! Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on her inspiring story. Courtesy: Paige Hammond
📷 A park walk get-together. Courtesy: Paige Hammond
📷 Paige received a hand-written note of gratitude from a newly made friend. Courtesy: Paige Hammond
📷 Paige in her backyard. Courtesy: Paige Hammond
So wonderful to have Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Kelly Meyerhofer and photojournalist Hannah Schroeder join a “Shorewood stranger sauna session” last week. 🔥 So thankful to them for telling this story in such a wholesome and beautiful way.
What started as a simple idea has turned into something much bigger. After seeing firsthand how small moments of connection can create a ripple effect, encouraging others to step outside their comfort zones and get to know their neighbors, I hope this story inspires even more of it.
➡️ Link in bio and in my story!
I’ll go several hours without taking out my phone for photo or video while traveling, but when I do it’s often for something singular I want to remember… like the song of this stream. 📍 Switzerland in September
While in Switzerland, we couldn’t afford to stay in Lucerne. Instead we stayed a short ferry ride away in Weggis (no regrets!), and spent only one day in Lucerne. It was six hours well spent, ending here at a busy pedestrian promenade along the water. It took me entirely off guard when the combination of beautiful live music, many people and this view had me fighting back tears. It didn’t hurt that the busker was performing a favorite of mine by Andrea Bocelli, Time to Say Goodbye, as we finally brought ourselves to walk away from such a beautiful place.
Interestingly I’ve only ever been moved to tears two other time while traveling. Our last night in Venice, with opera music cascading through alleys and canals and our second trip to Rome in a crowded plaza, listening to a street performer. Maybe I should seek out live music more. 🤷♀️
💕 Continuing my video dump from September’s trip.
@mkemanh ran to buy me sunscreen and almost missed this. The man loves a good boat so that would’ve been a darn shame. 📍 Lake Lucerne, Switzerland 📆 September
More people crammed into a cable car than I thought possible, speaking a multitude of different languages and sharing the commonality of laughter as our stomachs dip with the gondola is forever my love language. 📍 Switzerland
2016? ✨ I was deep in my vintage clothing dealer era. Starring the 1950s Jantzen deadstock bathing suit I couldn’t bring myself to sell and still own to this day.
Selfie to commemorate that after 31 years of successfully not watching Little Women, I forgot that it was a sad movie and casually put it on this afternoon and did a big, ugly cry. A word to the wise, if you are like me and you avoid entertainment that invokes a strong sense of emotion, do not watch Little Women. You will feel heavy for days. 😭
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone! I hope your days are filled with only the quantity of emotion that is most pleasing to you. 🙃
