Sheri Weix is best known around New Glarus as the owner of The Bramble Patch, the downtown shop she opened in 2002. But away from the store, she also spends part of her time volunteering at Prairie Haus, where one of her regular commitments has quietly grown into a community tradition.

Weix co-organizes a monthly bingo night with Gloria Bodeman. The idea grew from Weix's volunteer work with a young man with autism who later moved to Prairie Haus. She saw a building with shared kitchens, community rooms and plenty of people living near one another, but not necessarily connecting.

Weix said she noticed loneliness even though residents were surrounded by people they could potentially spend time with. The building had places to gather and people interested in activities. What it needed was a reason to bring them together.

The answer was simple: give people a reason to come downstairs, sit together and spend an evening in the same room.