Your Needed On Time Bank’s Team

1099871
A Time Bank community can’t be delivered to you like a pizza.

I wonder who cares at all about Co-Creating a community. Knitting and knowing your community is non-paid work,  and can only happen if you care and commit to do it together.

Our Time Bank is a member driven organization which needs every member’s participation to help keep it flourishing.  We are asking for each member to contribute at least 12 hours per year of community service to help administer T B M W per year. That’s one hour per month.

If you would like to participate more directly in TBMW’s growth, please choose one or more of the following functions you would work on. For any concerns contact TonyBudak@TBMW.org or call 330-716-2722 to talk about the service gift you are willing to offer.

  1. Outreach, Membership Expansion, Help Administer Our Join Process Marketing / PR
  2. Organizational Membership Development (Merchant, Faith, School, etc.) Exchange Match Maker Team
  3. Connect Members with Ads & Requests
  4. Postmasters, Logging and Editing Exchanges between Members and for TBMW Events
  5. New Member Orientations Team, Help Conduct Introduction Sessions on Time Banking
  6. New Member Buddy (help new members navigate and learn about Time Banking)
  7. Newsletter Contributor, Article Writer, Editor
  8. Sunshine Committee Team, Greeters, Nurture Member Participation/Enthusiasm
  9. Assist with Writing and Editing Procedures, Member Guides, Handbooks, Training Materials
  10. Guardian Angel – Help Members without Internet Access
  11. Sharing Economy Support (help manage web pages, inventory lists, field questions)
  12. Event Committee Member, Help Develop and Promote Events
  13. Assist with Financial Reporting, Dues Management, and Fundraising Activities
  14. Deal Maker, Host and/or Provide Places/Locations for TBMW Events (meetings, potlucks, etc.)
  15. Assist Potluck Coordinator (theming, setup, meal prep, lead activities/games, cleanup, etc.)
  16. Support Team for Time & Talent database, Help Desk, Computer Buddy
  17. Contribute to TBMW’s Web Site Design, Add/Enhance Content
  18. Site Admin / Tech Team / CMS Customization / Featurization
  19. Participate on TBMW’s Management Team or the TBMW Management Advisory Board
  20. Otherwise – What’s your preference?

Together we’ll keep our community operating optimally for you and every member.
Thank you for helping TBMW serve you and our community better!

Strengthening Communities – The Integrative Potential of Time Banking

Strengthening Communities
The Integrative Potential of Time Banking   ver8.18.13
A Guest Post by Marie Wilson Nelson

Time Bank Mahoning Watershed (https://tbmw.org/) is a community service exchange or “Time Bank,” a collection of people and organizations who connect unused resources with unmet needs. Time Bank Mahoning Watershed is part of an international social change movement grounded in five core values articulated by founder Edgar S. Cahn in No More Throwaway People: The Co-Production Imperative:

  • Assets: We are all assets. Every person has something of value to offer.
  • Redefining Work: Some work is beyond price.
  • Reciprocity: Helping works better as a two-way street.
  • Social Networks: We need each other. People helping each other reweave communities of support, strength and trust.
  • Respect: Every human matters.  When respect is denied to any, all are injured.

Acting on these values our Time Bank fulfills its mission–promoting equality and building a caring, just and sustainable community economy through inclusive exchange of time and talent. The concept is simple. Members help someone for an hour, earn an hour of credit, and spend the credit on services offered by any other member. Reweaving community one exchange at a time, they document exchanges in an online database (http://sandbox.timebanks.org) and revitalize what Cahn calls “the core economy” on which the Market depends. The core economy includes:

  • Raising healthy children
  • Revitalizing neighborhoods
  • Making democracy work
  • Nurturing the spirit
  • Building strong families
  • Strengthening local economies
  • Advancing social justice
  • Making the planet sustainable

In the PBS documentary Fixing the Future, time bankers help each other weatherize homes, access medical care, eat healthier food and take sailing lessons (8-minute clip: http://video.pbs.org/video/1646871620/). They contribute to low-carbon lifestyles, reduce transportation costs and provide services within neighborhoods. They grow capacity for community groups, non-profits, small businesses, and government groups, serving schools, hospitals, churches, libraries, and court systems. They do so by

  • Offering groups an expanded pool of volunteers.
  • Providing something valuable groups can give back to volunteers.
  • Identifying and connecting unused community resources with unmet needs.
  • Incubating new businesses.
  • Facilitating restorative justice.
  • Lowering operational costs.
  • Keeping prices low for businesses, clients and customers.
  • Reducing medical expenses.
  • Helping elders age in place.
  • Mentoring & tutoring.
  • Offering internships and on-the-job training.
  • Reducing tax burdens.
  • Containing administrative costs.
  • Tracking volunteer hours for reporting in funding proposals.

Each of these benefits reverses the opportunity costs of not banking time.   In addition, paying volunteers in Time Bank Hours could support start-ups in underserved communities. A few potential examples come to mind:

  • Weatherization projects                        Solar installations
  • Urban farms                                            Plant nurseries
  • Food preparation and distribution    Canning and preserving
  • Water catchment                                   Backyard garden installation
  • Home building                                       Home repair

Any group aligned with the five core values may partner with a time bank:

In the spirit of reciprocity, Time Banking offers community partners:

  • A complementary currency, the Time Bank Hour, created by doing some work.
  • A means of rewarding unpaid work by converting it to goods and services.
  • A way to reactivate social capital that lies untapped within neighborhoods.
  • Proven models for co-producing each other’s operations.
  • A way to restore community values ignored by the market economy.

If you want to discuss the above ideas, Contact Tony Budak

Smart Business Practice and Customer Loyalty

A business leaks expanses with unused capacity, empty seats and material sitting on shelves. However, a business can increase profit thru a Time Bank Credit discount. Discounted sales will bring in income for those carrying capacity expenses. There is no profit for those empty seats and those goods sitting on shelves. Offering a time bank discount will reduce empty seats and excess material. A discount to bring in customers is much better than no discount and no customers. It’s a smart business practice with increased customer loyalty.

learning groupConnect Time Bank People to Local Business Via the Local Time Exchange

A business message: Time-In & Time-Out.

People doing community service work for Time Bank Credits are doing ‘Time-In” tasks or projects.

While business and social agency locations that accept Time Bank Credits are ‘Time-Out” spots.  It’s through working together in a Time Bank service exchange that, will help people and organizations meet their goals. see Connected Localism

Are there any other Time-Out spots in your community? Are there any stores or restaurants who would consider providing Time Bank members discount rates. See trading with time credits, click here, now that’s smart business. If you are interested click this link.

If you want to discuss the above ideas, Contact Tony Budak

Starting a Time Bank

Often I’m asked to mentor a new Time Bank somewhere is the USA and what follows is the core information packet that  I send to a new Coordinator to get them rolling. I’m sending this to you because you picked up on this so fast and I want you to have all the information.

Of course you should read through all the site pages at Time Bank Mahoning Watershed for a good foundational introduction.

In these sites at Time Banks Work there are practical suggestions and many files to consider in a Time Bank effort.
Just skim this archive, as it would be helpful down the road.

Again in the above site there is a section that focuses on Starting a Time Bank (Section 1 and Section 2) This is a must to read and follow up reading all the hyper links in the both article sections.

Also you should adsorb the general ideas at the hOurWorld web site, in particular this page on first steps.
Another point of view, rather more practical, but good none the less.

And You will probably pick up a lot of learning take aways by participating
in the action on a Time Bank Coordinators group on Facebook;

Okay that’s it, please contact me for anything except a Federal money loan LOL.

If you want to discuss the above ideas, Contact Tony Budak

Ask your Coordinator?

Do you have a Time Bank, service exchange, or community currency question or comment?

Ask your Coordinator?

Click the “comment” button in the upper right corner and post your question or comment, or reply in the text box below. Looking forward to hear from you.

Or you want to discuss the above ideas, Contact Tony

Thanks and Cheers,
Tony Budak

FAQ

If you have further questions, please feel free to contact us.
Please click on a question to reveal its answer. Click again to hide the answer.

What’s the Time Bank Mahoning Watershed?
 The Time Bank Mahoning Watershed is an independent grass-roots, non-profit organization that promotes and enables sharing skills and time among its members. Unlike a barter club, we value the community connections that are made as much as the exchange itself and we actively draw out the hidden talents and unfulfilled aspirations of our members.
What is it, really?
TBMW is a member-run service that builds community and true security. A free online database program manages both the directory of services & requests and an accounting system for keeping track of Hours.
Where is the Time Bank Mahoning Watershed Located?
The Time Bank is both a virtual and real community. It is located in a four county region comprised of Trumbull, Mahoning, Columbiana in Ohio, and Mercer in Pennsylvania. The area surrounds Youngstown, Ohio 44501. Our members are on line at www.tbmw.org. We meet both regularly and where ever two or more members meet. See our upcoming events. All meetings are open to the public. “Helpers” assist members with exchanges and managing their accounts.
Who Coordinates the service exchange program?
Click “Contact form”
or write to TBMW
c/o Tony Budak
1559 Warner Rod
Hubbard, OH
330-716-2722
In addition Click Core Coordinators Team to find help.
How does a service exchange work?
A Time Bank is a community of people who support each other. When you spend an hour to do something for an individual or group, you earn a Time Dollar. Then you can use that Time Dollar to buy an hour of a neighbor’s time or engage in a group activity offered by a neighbor. Take a look at the Time Banking Way cartoon to see some examples! (Click) [br] It’s that simple. Yet it also has profound effects. You get to know your neighbors and build an old-fashioned extended family of people who take care of each other. Time Banks change whole communities.
Where do Hours come from?
“In Community We Trust” is literally true as we honor each others requests for services. You earn a spend able time credit by working. Membership doesn’t “take” time, it exchanges time. Everyone in our community has skills to share and benefits to gain by participating. Members are encouraged to value all skills equally at one Hour per hour worked. When the task is done, the number of Hours of service are entered into the Community Weaver accounting system.
What if I go into huge debt?
If you do, someone working for the Exchange may offer to help you identify and provide services. Going into debt by asking for more help than you have in Hours is OK. The goal over time is to balance giving and receiving services.
What if I am not satisfied with a service?
TBMW does not guarantee the performance of anyone who is referred, nor will TBMW or members acting on its behalf be held responsible for any injury to persons or damage to property experienced during the exchange. Upon joining the TBMW everyone must sign weavers of liability, to hold harmless both Time Bank members and the TBMW organization as well as agree to norms of behavior, consent to a background check and meet face to face with an intake coordinator for evaluation and skill set determination.
What kind of services are typically offered by Exchange members?
What does it cost?
Time Banks that received donations are organizations that succeed over time. For the past 4 years Time Bank Mahoning Watershed has been able to succeed with private support, but now we ask for your help. As a Member you are automatically emailed a letter asking for an annual donation of dollars and time. Your account will be debited 2 hours on the anniversary of your join date. We are asking you to consider a donation of $25 to $100 dollars—or whatever you feel you can afford. These precious dollars will be used to support our website, administrative costs, marketing, and social event costs. Time Bank members build community. Members learn from one another, care for friends and neighbors, and take responsibility by building a better future. We believe in our capacity to work together Co-Producing vibrant, healthy, and sustainable communities and your gift helps us all to realize our goals.
Send your tax deductible gift today to:
Time Bank Mahoning Watershed
1559 Warner Road
Hubbard, OH 44425
Thank you for helping! Thank you for caring.
What if I don’t want to use a computer?
You can call a Helper to search for a service, put in a request, or update your personal info. [br] You can use the form here to record exchanges: TBMW Service Exchange Reports and this form to report your hours to the coordinators: TBMW Community Service Hours Completed form
What if I have Hours and move away?
TBMW will attempt to exchange your credit with any alternative currencies in your new area.
Tell me about TimeBanking Special Projects. How Can I Help?
Just call and let us know your interest area. Time Banking projects are being used all over the world in all kinds of ways from elder care, school peer based tutoring, youth courts, paying time dollars for medical, housing and legal costs. TimeDollars are even being used in Maine to pay community college tuition!

Voices of the TimeBank Community

Direct
TimeBank Mahoning Watershed welcomes testimonials from you!

Please tell us about your service exchange transactions, your experiences and suggestions regarding social gatherings and projects, or any feature of  Time Banking you wish to make known.

Lets hear your thoughts about Co-Production or Core Economy topics and novel ideas for the use of the Time Bank process.

 Please contact us with your testimonial

Thank you for your continued participation and support!

Some Testimonials…

Dennis Spisak Testimonial

I am happy to join the Time bank to meet other progressives who want to help each other and the Youngstown area grow. We need new ideas and people helping people build new communities. We need more people to help others become successful and help our community have a better and brighter future.

Jackie Yohn Testimonial

The Time Bank is such an exciting and rewarding experience and I must thank Tony Budak for his leadership, his tenacity, his time, and his dedication to bringing this Time Bank to life. I hope we can all take his lead to heart and help make this Time Bank a driving force in our Valley. There is no better time than the present to utilize all that it has to offer and make it work. Please try to find some time to really check out the website, find a service to trade and enjoy the experience, check out some meetings, hang up some flyers, find an organization (maybe even your own) that would be perfect to join the Time Bank, plan a potluck or group project to help those in our community, or just simply tell some friends and colleagues about us – we need a group effort to grow our Time Bank. Thanks for being a part and doing your part of bringing our community together.

Carol Gottesman Testimonial

When I first heard about TimeBanking, I was very impressed with the concept. I found that it expanded my awareness of how I could reach out to people in my own neighborhood. When I was going out of town I found a neighbor who was very willing to water my garden for me. She transported people to airports, so I hired her to do that for me. When I returned home she had some physical challenges, so I offered to do a Touch for Health testing and balancing to put her body back in the normal healing mode and speed up her healing. We have become walking partners in the neighborhood.

I started coming to TimeBanking get togethers, and found them enjoyable and informative. I recognized people there that I had seen in the community and had an opportunity to get to know them. Tony Budak was very helpful in explaining the TimeBanking concept with no pressure to join. It gave me an opportunity to explore the possibilities for myself. I found that I was sharing the concept with others and engaging them in conversation around how it could be beneficial to them. The friend, who had originally shared the TimeBanking brochure with me, became involved in the Youth Court project, which is a very worthwhile community project. She recently joined TimeBanking herself, and I did also. I was talking with another neighbor who would like to join me at our next community exchange get together.

Creating community and reaching out to one another brings about a feeling of connectedness that is missing in these times. Helping one another and knowing that others are there for you when you need them helps to decrease feelings of anxiety and isolation. Its a good feeling being a part of an organization that honors everyone for their skills and contributions.

 

Time Bank Models

Time banking is a tool for building community

– here are some examples of how organisations around the UK are using this tool. If you develop a new way of using this tool please let us know and we can add it to this list.

 

Person to Person Model (1 to 1 exchanges)

Theory
•    A mutual (open) credit system where credit only exists between individuals
•    Exchanges take place between individuals initially set up by a central hub
•    Facilitates acts of neighbourliness between individuals

Practice
•    Time bank often established as a project within a ‘host organisation’
•    When an individual joins the bank they are asked to list the skills they can share and the skills they would like to receive
•    Exchanges are co-ordinated and recorded by a broker
•    Type of exchanges is governed by skills available within the membership
•    Project is evaluated by number of time bank members, number of exchanges taking place

Factors for Success
•    Supportive host with organisation-wide understanding of time banking
•    Funding for a time bank broker and project manager
•    Core group of local supporters
•    Visible location (e.g. shop front)
•    Clear definition and understanding of project area (geographically & operationally)
•    Links to local community sector

Potential Problems
•    Need to avoid over-reliance on the broker by members when setting up exchanges and activities
•    Important to ensure that the time bank is embedded within the organisation and able to extend/ improve existing activities as well as developing new ones
•    Important to have sufficient resources to manage the administration of 1-to-1 exchanges

Examples from London
•    Rushey Green Time Bank: launched in 2000 this project is housed within a doctors surgery, although it is an independent registered charity.

Agency to Client Model (Specialist time banking)

Theory
•    A mutual (open) credit system, where credit exists between agency/ organisation and person
•    Activity is themed, based around specialist skills of agency leading the time bank
•    Time banking embedded within an existing organisation, vol or statutory

Practice
•    Members earn credits for active engagement in community activities
•    Type of activity undertaken is linked to the organisation running the time bank (e.g. Groundwork running environmental clean-ups)
•    Credits can be cashed in for rewards, which are decided by group
•    Rewards reinforce the theme of the activity and make it possible for future learning and activity
•    Rewards are themed to compliment focus of work (e.g. Groundwork’s focus on environmental work means that rewards might be a trip to Kew gardens).

Factors for success
•    Community group keen to develop greater community working
•    Organisation able to secure/ provide suitable rewards

Potential Problems
•    Having a single themed activity may reduce appeal of time bank to wide range of members
•    Focus and funding of time banking organisation may actively exclude certain community members
•    Organisations may encounter difficulties sourcing funding for ‘rewards’

Examples from London
•    Whittington Time Exchange: based within a school, children earn time credits for playground duty, helping with school events, looking after the buddy bench and the prayer room. Rewards can be cashed in for group trips e.g. XXX that are paid for in time credits
•    ‘Y’ Bank, Tower Hamlets:  This project works with young people who learn new skills and earn rewards when undertaking environmental clearances in their local area

Organisational Time Banking

Theory
•    A mutual (open) credit system where credit exists between agencies
•    Used to facilitate exchanges between organisations for mutual benefit and enhance use of scarce or under utilised resources

Practice
•    Time bank can be established within an existing ‘hub’ or to set up a new network of organisations (may be based around a geographical area or a specific skill/ activity)
•    When an organisation joins the bank they list the resources and services they have available and the type of help they would like to receive
•    Exchanges are recorded by a ‘broker’ or network co-ordinator
•    Type of exchanges is governed by what is available within the membership but likely to be both resources (e.g. an underused minibus) and skills (e.g. help with writing a funding proposal)

Factors for Success
•    Supportive network of organisations with understanding of time banking
•    Funding for a time bank co-ordinator, or lead organisation
•    Particularly useful when organisations have underused resources
•    Core group of local organisations with a variety of resources and needs
•    Strong local community sector with a history of working together previously

Potential Problems
•    Requires membership to be a range of organisations and resources in order to meet a variety of needs
•    All organisations need to give and receive
Examples from London
Poss Lewisham Community Development Partnership?

Institutional time banking

Theory
•    A mutual (open) credit system, where credit exists between agency/ organisation and person
•    Time bank is situated within an employment setting, with membership of the time bank open to employees, staff, students, etc
•    Activity may be themed around particular needs of agency leading the time bank or may be more focused on meeting personal needs of staff/ employees
•    Using time banking tool to create learning organisations

Practice
•    To develop a pool of staff who can recognise and develop a wider range of skills than those required directly for their job role
•    The time banking tool is a mechanism for creating ‘learning organisations’ by providing a framework that enables individuals to enhance their professional and personal development and build social and professional networks
•    A broker works with individuals and organisations to identify skills and resources that they have, and those they need access to or wish to develop for themselves

Factors for Success
•    A core group of individuals and organisations interested in becoming involved
•    Everyone involved must have something they need and something they can give

Potential Problems
•    important for staff to recognise and receive personal benefits to ensure the time bank doesn’t become a way to get more out of people
•    wide mix of skills and resources, possibly themed around specific outcomes e.g. personal development, training

Examples from London
Poss: Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery ‘Time and talent’ bank: Currently in development this project would use the time banking tool to develop a pool of people who can exchange expertise, extend and enhance the range and flexibility of programmes that the school can offer.

Agency to Client Model

Theory
•    A fiat (closed) credit system, with credits originating from the ‘bank’
•    Initial time audit establishes current level of active community involvement
•    Number of credits available is based in time audit and projections for future involvement

Practice
•    Members earn credits for active engagement in community activities
•    Credits can be cashed in for rewards
•    Rewards are themed to compliment focus of work (e.g. Groundwork’s focus on environmental work means that rewards might be exchanged for garden tools or a trip to Kew gardens).
•    The awards reinforce the theme of the activity and make it possible for future learning and activity
•    Aim is to look at community holistically, not to draw artificial distinctions between community and individual. Therefore a group engaged in communal environmental work would earn credits to be spent on own garden
•    Brochures and leaflets are created to advertise the rewards

Factors for success
•    Community group keen to develop greater community working
•    Organisations and individuals keen to complete active community audits
•    Necessary time and support time available for new groups when developing the approach

Potential Problems
•    Organisation may face difficulties in funding ‘rewards’
•    Project may initially face difficulties in expecting people to ‘pay’ with credits for activities that were previously free
•    Time credits can develop monetary value through comparison with rewards

Examples
Valleys Kids, Wales: focus on working with young people to enable them to earn credits from being engaged in generating community improvements through the ‘Give and Take’ club

Time Centre Model

Theory
•    A fiat (closed) credit system, with credits originating from the ‘bank’
•    The time banking tool addresses problems of under capacity and ensures that those people taking part are actively involved

Practice
•    The time bank is based within an existing community centre
•    Requires an initial time audit of centre and all activities that take place
•    Centre is able to introduce a dual finance system with people able to pay in time credits or cash for activities that they take part in (e.g. music concerts, theatre)
•    Community members are encouraged to earn time credits in a variety of ways including assisting with the running and management of existing activities or developing their own community building projects.
•    Value assigned to activities is based on number of hours they take (e.g. theatrical performance is 2 hours long so costs 2 credits)

Factors for success
•    This model helps to establish local community centres as true community resources
•    Can assist in building attendance for activities that are currently underused

Potential problems
•    Requires an existing community centre
•    Requires the buy in of existing community users (both individuals and projects)

Examples
Blangarw Workmen’s Hall: This community centre based in the Welsh valleys host a variety of weekly and one-off activities all of which can be paid for with cash or time credits.

Time Network Model

Theory
•    A fiat (closed) credit system, with credits originating from the ‘bank’
•    All local service providers, voluntary and statutory use time banking as their currency to recognise and reward community involvement

Practice
•    The time bank is based within an existing time centre but develops to incorporate service providers in the wider area
•    Requires an initial time audit
•    Creates local consistency so that local residents see their contribution valued in the same way no matter which activity or service they are interacting with

Factors for success
•    Time is required to embed the time banking tool with local service providers
•    A broad understanding and acceptance of the time banking principles, particularly of ‘give and take’ is necessary across all service providers

Potential problems
•    Important that the use of and accounting for time credits is standardized across all agencies otherwise consistency is threatened

Examples
Glyn Coch Communities First: This community centre based in the Welsh valleys is extending its time centre in order to link in with all local service providers.