Welcome to your Friendly Neighborhood TimeBank

A TimeBank is a group of people in a community sharing time and talents with each other by earning and spending TimeBucks, which are units of time. Each hour of time a member spends doing something for another member, such as mowing their lawn or teaching them how to use a computer, gets banked, and can be used by that member for any other offered service, such as transporting a couch. Money is never exchanged, only time (in the form of TimeBucks), so it's not taxable. In my experience, people are friendly and generous and are often looking for opportunities to socialize with and help others in their neighborhoods, but don't how to start. TimeBanks solve that problem in a way that charitable organizations do not, because real community building comes both from giving and receiving services in a small enough geographical area for people to get to know and trust each other.

TimeBanks build relationships and trust within communities because people continuously interact with each other. If someone were to be dishonest or take advantage of a TimeBank's members, the organizers would take action immediately. It just doesn't make sense to join a TimeBank with malicious intent.

In short, almost everyone can benefit from joining a TimeBank. Some prospective members are often shocked to learn that all time (TimeBucks) earned and spent, is treated equally. How could a surgeon's time be equal to that of an unemployed receptionist?  People forget that we live in two different words; an economically driven one where a citizen is generally rewarded for one's degree of specialization by money, and a social one where one is rewarded for friendliness and generosity by friendships and happiness. The surgeon wants to learn how to play the guitar; the receptionist enjoys giving guitar lessons, and seeks help from another member to work on his car, and so on. One isn't limited to trading time with just the member he or she works with; each member trades time within the entire community. Many of these services can be and usually are paid for in the open market, but only though a TimeBank can people expect to get to know one's neighbors, forge lasting friendships, and accept help from people who truly enjoy sharing their skills and time.

Many people have the misconception that they lack skills the economy places a monitory value on, such as providing guitar lessons or math tutoring, or professional trades such as electrical work or plumbing. Even the surgeon, who would love to play the guitar, might feel unable to contribute, since she obviously won't be performing surgery on anyone. But the most fundamental value of TimeBanks is that EVERYONE, from a teenager to a senior citizen, has something to offer. Can you rake leaves, baby sit, walk a dog, pull weeds, paint, read, stuff envelopes, type, water plants and let out a dog, drive a car, tutor elementary school subjects, distribute fliers, cook, or clean? Many people in your community need help in those areas, and hundreds more. Everyone has something to offer. And because we all have only twenty-four hours in a day, our time is equally valuable. But the ability to give back to your community, to make friends with your neighbors and become truly connected, is invaluable.