WAUWATOSA, Wis. — Jesse Hieb has traveled to some of the toughest places on Earth for disaster relief work, staying for months to help people recover and rebuild. But it was during his deployment to Asheville, North Carolina, for hurricane relief that he discovered something that would change his perspective on community building.
Watch: Disaster relief worker brings outdoor sauna community to Wauwatosa
"I came across this sauna park called Drip Sauna, and I absolutely fell in love with the community and the culture that they had there," Jesse said.
The experience inspired Jesse to bring that same sense of community to Wisconsin. He began the process of opening Heat Haven Sauna Park in Hart Park in Wauwatosa, envisioning a space where neighbors could connect and support each other.
Just as Jesse was getting his business plans underway, he was called to respond to another disaster — this time in his home state. In August, flooding hit the Muskego area, and Jesse found himself standing in a neighborhood that had been completely flooded, watching neighbors struggle with the aftermath.
It was at that moment that fate intervened. While surveying the flood damage, Jesse received a text message from the contractor who would build his saunas.
"He said, if you want to actually get this done, you're going to have to put the deposit down today so that we can get them done in time," Jesse said.
Jesse turned to his faith and made the decision to move forward with the project. Now, three wood-fired saunas sit in Hart Park, next to the community center where Jesse hopes people will come together.
"I'm getting to listen to people's stories, everything from a local to a traveler, and they're asking me about my story," Jesse said.
The sauna park represents more than just a wellness amenity for Jesse — it’s a tool for building stronger community connections during challenging times.
"My hope is that it opens up a space for dialogue for people to get to know their neighbors, and that’s our hope — that community comes closer together because of this," Jesse said. "Together we thrive through winter because winter is tough, especially this winter, which is shaping up to be a really tough one to get through, and we’re here to help you get through it."
Learn more about Heat Haven by clicking here
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
