These five Vermont residents are taking advantage of the time bank trend. (Photo: All You)
As
family budgets get cut to the bone, an increasing number of people are
trading a more meaningful commodity than money. Here's how the growing
trend of time banking is helping folks in and around Brattleboro, Vt.,
become stronger and closer.
Related: 'I Turned My Family Recipe Into a Business' »What do you do when your water heater breaks, you're injured and need an at-home nurse, or your daughter is pining for violin lessons and you just can't scrape together the cash to hire someone to help? Enter time trading, a practice akin to bartering that's undergoing a quiet resurgence. Members of a community band together to pool their talents and resources; instead of swapping dollars, the unit of currency is an hour of your time. You might sign up to offer baby-sitting or car rides, or your teens could rake someone's lawn. You "earn" hours and can "spend" them on any service offered by other participants, such as electrical repairs or accounting. Currently more than 300 time banks exist in the United States. Time banks not only help their members manage on smaller incomes; they also have an extra value: Neighbors get to know neighbors, and friendships are forged. To see such rewards in action-financial, social and otherwise-trace the interconnected lives of these five members of a time bank in one community and see how it has enriched every single one of their lives.
The Budget Beater: Amanda Witman, 40
Three years ago, I was in a tough spot. My husband and I had separated, and I was in a large house that needed lots of repairs. I was home-schooling my kids and working part-time from home doing website customer service. I had a huge financial challenge. My friends knew I was overwhelmed, and more than one said I should join the Brattleboro Time Trade.
At first I thought, Who has time to trade?! Then I learned that you can run a deficit-get help immediately and pay back the time when you're able. So I posted requests on the website to fix up my house. I'd hoped one or two members would respond, but a bunch of people ended up offering assistance. Randy Bright fixed holes in the wall and replaced my water-pressure tank. Other people hauled a bunch of stuff to the dump, replaced ancient wiring and helped me plant a vegetable garden.
Before joining the group, I never would have been comfortable requesting all that help. But you don't feel like you're pestering anyone, because people happily volunteer for the jobs and they always show up with a smile. And even though I'm so tight on time, I've always been able to find jobs that fit my schedule, like baby-sitting or making someone a meal. In fact, my whole family pitches in. I'll tell my kids-Everest, 15, Alden, 14, Ellery, 11, and Avery, 9-that we're stacking wood for our neighbor in order to get our light fixture fixed. It makes them feel useful.
In fact, we've come to realize the value of some of our hobbies, like making music. Once we earned four time-trade hours by playing together as a family at a local garden party: two fiddles, a guitar and a pennywhistle!
• Amanda gives: Yard work, firewood stacking, child care, home-cooked meals, administrative work, musical performances
• Amanda gets: Home repairs and electrical work, trash removal, bike maintenance, music lessons, juggling lessons
When I joined the Brattleboro Time Trade a few years ago, I offered up my skills as a pain-management therapist. It was rewarding to help people who might not otherwise be able to afford my services. Then something happened last spring that made me appreciate the group in a whole new way: While driving during a torrential downpour, I lost control of my car, which flipped over four times. At the hospital, doctors told me I'd broken my neck, and I realized I would have to remain on my back in a brace for at least six months. My entire family lives in California. I left the hospital knowing I'd make it but that I'd still need help.
Within days of arriving home, I was in contact with other members of the group, many of whom I knew or recognized from the monthly meetings. Someone would call weekly to see if I had new needs to put in the Time Trade newsletter. People dropped by to deliver meals, help around the house or stack firewood. Some of them even helped change my neck brace. Now I'm doing better, and I am more grateful than words can express.
• Justine gives: Pain-management therapy, movement training
• Justine gets: Caregiving, meal delivery, housecleaning, firewood stacking
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The Fixer: Randy Bright, 49
My dad was a handyman who taught me growing up that I could learn to fix or make anything, and I've never lost that. In 1998 I renovated my own house during nights and weekends off from my insurance job. But after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, it felt important to make a difference in the world, so I got a job making homes more energy-efficient for low-income people. Just like that change, joining the Brattleboro Time Trade was about being part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
When I joined, it was clear that handy people were in high demand. And, since I am divorced, I thought, Great, I'll meet single women! That hasn't panned out yet, but I have expanded my circle of friends. I've used some of my time-trade hours for home-cooked meals. It has aided me financially, too: I've developed a referral network that has helped get my own energy-efficiency business off the ground.
My private business keeps me busy, but I still do time trades, and I often donate the hours I earn. The trades give me something intangible that just makes me feel good. I especially like showing my daughter, Nora (who's 14 and often comes along to help out), that not every exchange is about money. One time, I got a call about a woman who was bed-ridden. Her daughter was out, and her wood stove was back-drafting carbon monoxide into her house. It was a simple fix, but had I not answered my phone and been there soon, she could have died. I didn't say anything to her at the time, but that experience really affected me. My seemingly small choices to help someone might not be a big deal to me, but they could have far-reaching-even life-changing-effects on others.
• Randy gives: Weatherization and insulation, energy audits, home repairs, car rides, yard work
• Randy gets: Home-cooked meals, business contacts, computer help, massage therapy
The Musician: Lissa Schneckenburger, 34
My husband, Corey DiMario, 36, and I are professional musicians. I sing and play the fiddle; Corey plays the double bass. We're on the road roughly 200 days a year with our 4-year-old son, Hunter, so the Brattleboro Time Trade helps us feel grounded in town. I give fiddle lessons-it's great for those who normally can't afford them. In return, we get a lot of help around the house and with Hunter.
Although time trading is a huge financial help, what I love most about it is the unexpected encounters I have with people, as well as the bonds they create. One time I helped an elderly lady remove a carpet from her stairs, and as we worked together she told me about her house, the people who built it in the early 1900s, her family history and her life. It was fascinating. Making connections with people I wouldn't otherwise have met is meaningful to me. I was already friendly with Amanda Witman through the local music community, and now I give her daughter Ellery fiddle lessons, and both of her girls baby-sit Hunter. One time Corey and I got a last-minute out-of-town gig, and we needed someone to watch Hunter. He loves Amanda, and she agreed to come along for the weekend. Although technically she was there to be with him while we played, she is a big music fan, and we spent most of the weekend together. She helped me out, and we had a great time in the process.
I see Amanda and her kids play music around town-at the farmers market and Irish fiddle sessions at a pub. It's a real community experience, and it's amazing to see Ellery gain the confidence to hop up with the group and try out techniques I've taught her. To me, time trading is a lot like music: It brings people together and creates a sense of community. What better way could there be to spend my time?
• Lissa gives: Fiddle lessons, baby-sitting, car rides, garden weeding
• Lissa gets: Yard work, plumbing, electrical work, housecleaning, landscape design, child care
The Connector: Abby Mnookin, 37
Before I had my daughter in 2012, I left my job as a high school science teacher to stay at home. Caring for a newborn often felt isolating and over-whelming. I was ready to hire a baby sitter but, living on only one income, that was too expensive. So, as a coordinator of the Brattleboro Time Trade, I contacted other parents and we broadened our group's child-care network.
We really believed in the "It takes a village" maxim, so we started baby-sitting for each other regularly. The time off enabled me to pursue a grad-school class, go out on dates, get errands done and work 15 hours each week for the Time Trade, answering calls and e-mail from our 230 members and posting announcements. Of course, there are frustrations (some people are less motivated to orchestrate a time exchange than they would be if money were involved) but when it works, and it often does, it's amazing.
When I heard last year that one of our members broke her leg while on a hike, and needed someone to retrieve her car from the trailhead and get her some groceries, I found it gratifying that so many volunteers jumped to her aid. Some time-traders have become good friends who assist without even clocking their hours. Ultimately, that's what this is all about. In a perfect world, we wouldn't need an organization to pull us together-we'd just be neighbors and friends helping one another.
• Abby gives: Membership and outreach coordinating for the Brattleboro Time Trade, garden help, child care
• Abby gets: Child care, dog walking, firewood stacking, hemming and tailoring, garden help, bike tune-ups, patio construction, home weatherization
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TIME IS MONEY
• Do Your Research
Locate existing groups at timebanks.org, which has a map of networks across the United States. To start a time bank of your own, consult the website's manual or the one at hourworld.org. Both sites also offer training at a cost.
• Gather a Group Start small by getting at least 10 people to commit, ideally ones with distinct skill sets and interests. From there you can gradually grow your base through word of mouth. Bear in mind that larger numbers require more coordination and oversight.
• Talk Tech There is time bank-specific software that sets up an intranet where members post and answer requests. You can get a free version at hourworld.org.
• Appoint an Administrator Most successful time banks pay a coordinator to take care of administrative duties and offset the cost by registering for nonprofit status so they can raise funds. If there is no budget available, consider paying an administrator with time-trade hours.
• Encourage Involvement
The sooner members trade, the more likely they are to stick with it. Set a goal for members to use or give a service within the first two weeks of operation. From there, consider organizing monthly potlucks. Regular gatherings create a sense of community, and they help people develop connections that inspire them to trade.
TRADE FAIR WITH A LITTLE COMMON SENSE • Be specific and detailed. If materials are involved in a request or offer, establish who will provide them.
• Respect the rules. Be punctual, of course, and don't ask for more than is offered or give less than what is expected.
• Take note. When setting up terms, it helps for both parties to put their agreement in writing to avoid misunderstandings.
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