It’s what so many of us have been eagerly waiting for – a way to exchange services with other Greenbelters without the exchange of money.  It’s the alternative economy, y’all, so naturally a great fit for Greenbelt.  Plus, we’re getting to know more of our neighbors.  Win-win, etc.

I attended the first orientation event for new members – held at Club 125 with instruction and hand-holding by organizers Kevin Fisher, Michael Hartman and Lore Rosenthal.  About 20 of us eager joiners were in attendance.  Another orientation will be held Thursday, November 14 at 7:00 and it’s strongly recommended that potential members attend, but just in case you can’t, here’s what I learned from it and from signing up for the Time Bank.

What it is:  Time banking is a type of reciprocal service exchange that uses units of time as currency.  The first one was created in St. Louis by Dr. Edgar Cahn, who also started the Grace Hill Settlement,  with the goal of rewarding “decency, caring, and a passion for justice.”   With Time Banking, an hour of help earns one credit, with all types of help being valued equally.  Unlike standard money, there is no price placed on different kinds of service. The purpose of TimeBanking is to reweave communities by valuing the contributions of all, joining unused resources to unmet needs.

Time Banks are operating in cities like New York, Madison, Los Angeles, Baltimore and D.C., and they’re growing in 21 other countries on six continents.  In the U.K. alone there are now over 300 time banks.  There are no tax consequences for this no-money exchange of services.  Wikipedia has more info on time banks.

What Services

So far, offers of services include everything from child care to jewelry repair to writing, yard work and photography.  Too many to list!

Rules, Responsibilities and Rights:  Member must respond to communications in a timely manner (within 48 hours), honor their commitments, and keep the Time Bank up to date regarding services provided and member contact information.   (Exchanges usually recorded by whoever provides the service, with the recipient of the service then receiving an email about the provision of the service.)  Cancellations of agreed-on services should be made sooner than 24 hours before the time scheduled.  Items that should be negotiated before the service is provided include whether time traveled would count as time spent providing the service and who would provide any needed supplies.  Members can be dismissed for unacceptable behavior. 

And this isn’t a rule, but members are urged to recruit everyone you know because the more members there are, the better the Time Bank performs!

Members retain the right to confidentiality regarding what services they’ve provided or been given.

How to Join and learn

Just click here or tinyurl.com/greenbelttimebank, then click “become a member” and fill out the form.   A reference is someone in the Time Bank already or others you know in the community.   Check out the Member Help Guide in the upper left, or click Help in the upper right to see contextual help (help regarding whatever page you’re on).  The website offers the opportunity to log in using Facebook and one orientation attendee asked about that, but the coordinators hadn’t investigated that yet.  Membership is pending until you’re notified it’s been accepted.

Endorsements are simply people you know and like.  Satisfaction ratings are about a service you’ve actually received from that member. I found the sign-up process easy-peasy, but there IS lots of help for joiners with questions.

How to exchange services:

Just start perusing the offers and if it’s a service you want or need, just email the offeror.  All new members are credited with two hours, which will be deducted at their one-year anniversary.  We were told it’s fine to partake of a service before you provide one, which might result in a negative balance.  Also don’t hesitate to write a request!  The point is to NOT wait for someone to come to you; just dig in and get the ball rolling.

Members who sign up for Time Bank news via email receive one email every Tuesday that includes all messages, new offers, et cetera.

Note:  Services must be given IN Greenbelt unless otherwise arranged.  And some information that’s uploaded to the site won’t show up on it until the next day, so don’t fret if you don’t see it there immediately.

When arranging for a service with a person you don’t know, you might want to agree to meet in a public place.  Or perhaps reading their endorsements and reviews provides the assurance of safety you might need.  Alternatively, choose someone you DO know.

Groups, too

You’ll see groups on the site, too.  They’re affinity or interest groups that people can use to organize events or communicate in any way they want.  So far, there are groups about hikers, weeders, massage, cats, and music,  Any member can create a new group.

Coming Soon

There WILL be a way to participate by phone, for people who don’t use email.  And one attendee asked if he’d be able to donate his credits to someone else and the answer was that the coordinators haven’t addressed that yet but the ability to do that may be added to Greenbelt’s Time Bank. I’m sure the Time Bank will evolve to respond more and more to Greenbelters’ wishes.

Bottom line – it’s a fabulous idea that’s perfectly suited to our alternative-economy/community-minded town, so sign up now!

Photo credit:  Club125.