Yours, Mine, & HOURS
TIME BANK of the Mahoning Watershed
Edgar Cahn
Founder of TimeBanks USA
TimeBanks USA “Mission Statement”:
Strengthening communities through reciprocity
Build community through reciprocity
MISSION STATEMENT:
TimeBank Mahoning Watershed, Inc., an umbrella network of
Community Groups based on "Time Dollars:" the currency
of equally valued services, the exchange of which
empowers individuals to utilize their assets, to enhance
their lives, neighborhood and communities.
What Is A Service Exchange?
1.Time Banking– What it is and how it works
2.The Five Core Values
3.What do people do?
4.Various Delivery Methods
5.Build A Member Lead Core Team. . . .
What is Time Banking All About?
At its most basic level, Time banking is a community
of people who support each other.
Simply spending an hour doing something for
somebody in your community, 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.
Why A Time Bank?
With time banking, we
work with a group of
individuals who are
joined together for the
common good.
Time Banking is a system
that connects unmet
needs with untapped
resources.
Here is how this works . . .
ASSETS:
We are all assets.
Every human being has something to
contribute.
Redefining Work:
Some work is beyond price.
Work has to be redefined to value whatever it takes to
raise healthy children, build strong families,
revitalize neighborhoods, make democracy work,
advance social justice, make the planet sustainable.
That kind of work needs to be honored, recorded
and rewarded.
Reciprocity:
Helping works better as a two-way street.
The question: “How can I help you?”
needs to change so we ask: “How can we
help each other build the world we both
will live in?”
Social Networks:
We
need
each
other.
People helping each other reweave communities
of support, strength and trust. Community is
built upon sinking roots, building trust, creating
networks that are built on mutual respect and
commitment.
Respect
Respect demands
accountability.
The voices of all must
be heard and heeded
so as to promote
social justices and
compel accountability.
What can Time Banking do for me?
Time Banking does many things for different people.
What happens if
you go into debt?


Having a negative balance is not a big deal in a
Time Dollar account. After all, people have to
receive in order for others to give
Each Time Bank sets up its own limits on how far
a member's account can go into debt, and it is
explained in their Member Handbook. People who
have a history of earning lots of Time Dollars are
generally allowed a bigger debt limit.
Is anyone else really doing this?


In Portland, Maine –not Oregon—600
people are exchanging 800 different
types of services from walking dogs,
tutoring children, taking seniors to
the hospital, to massages and health
care.
This isn’t just some trendy, new age,
community building concept—this is
real life for thousands of people,
across the country. In fact . . .
There are over 120 Time Bank
communities in the US and
300 more around the world.
Today’s ---- Opportunities
Where could a Time Bank start to grow?
Time Bank
Mahoning
Watershed at
www.tbmw.org
Creating a ...
Network Of Time Banks
Service Exchanges
are delivered in two ways
 Neighbor-To-Neighbor
Exchanges
 Program or Organization Based
Exchanges
Time Banks take many forms.
Here are some examples:





Friends Time Banks – with up to 35 people who generally
already know each other
Neighborhood Time Banks - usually up to about 150 members
who live close by
School or Church based Time Banks – where members of a
pre-existing community use the Time Bank to weave a tighter
community
Regional Time Banks – composed of a federation of
neighborhood Time Banks
Social Service Agency based Time Banks – where clients
become participants and people’s lives are transformed though
a supportive community
It’s Easy
To Open Your Time Bank Account
Filling 6 Leadership Roles from membership
Each Role to be shared by TWO individuals

Role I: Time Bank Ambassador
* Member Recruitment

Role II. Membership Coordinator
* Member Orientation
* ‘Keeping in Touch’
* Making matches

Role III. Events Coordinator
* Focuses on all group activities of the Time Bank
Filling 6 Leadership Roles from membership
Each Role to be shared by TWO individuals
Role IV. Webmaster
* Training New Members in On-Line Time Banking
* Running the on-line community page

Role V. Administration
* Collecting dues
* Financials/Budgeting
* Fundraising

Role VI. Team Leader
* Makes sure that everyone is happily taking responsibility
for their role.
TimeBanks are started at …
Community Centers
Social Services
Places of Worship
Neighborhood Groups
Local Business
Local Food Production
Juvenile/Criminal Justice
Public & Private Institutions
Artists/Arts Organizations
Service Groups
By TimeBank AMBASSADORS, folks who like
meeting people and are natural networkers.
Member-led Time Banks
Reweaving Community,
One Hour at a Time
www.timebanks.com
www.tbmw.org