Who Has Created Time Banks?

Time Banks Reflect the Aspirations of Their Members

Every Time Bank is a reflection of its members—who they are, the dreams they have, and the choices and decisions they make.

Community groups, faith-based groups and churches, agencies, non-profits, eldercare organizations, hospitals, and medical practices have all chosen Time Banking to support their goals, strengthen their outcomes and reweave community. Individuals have created “mini-Time Banks” of neighbors and friends.

Social service agencies use Time Banking to change the usual one-way relationships of paid professionals and volunteers “fixing” people. Time Banks give members a way to give back to each other and shape the outcome of their program.

Whatever the field—community building, juvenile justice, education, healthcare, eldercare, rehabilitation, and more—Time Banking creates a way for everyone to get involved and become a true partner in achieving the goals of their organization.

Community Projects and Group Exchanges

Time Dollars are a great way to motivate the members of your group to pitch in and help accomplish your projects. Neighborhood watches, clean ups, and garden projects, fashion shows, food tasting events, share-a-ride programs, poetry contests, fundraising events—these are all good examples of group-oriented Time Bank exchanges.

Group Time Bank exchanges happen when people get together for a specific project, event, performance, or celebration—even making, growing, and fixing things. These exchanges are a lot like the community barn raisings, block parties, and pot luck dinners that used to happen around the world.

Social Service Agencies

Time Banking can help your social service agency engage with clients and the community you serve in a whole new way. You and they become partners, co-workers, and active co-contributors to the agency’s mission.

There are different ways to use Time Banking to achieve this kind of partnering. Your agency can become the host or sponsor of a Time Bank that focuses on a specific social need—elderly care, drug rehabilitation, homelessness, or child care, for example. Or, you could follow the approach being taken in Lynn, Massachusetts, which is to take a more hands-off approach. In Lynn, three agencies have joined in funding a Time Bank that is free standing and dedicated to building a more inclusive community. Whichever way you choose, Time Banking means that instead of being stigmatized or isolated from others, your agency’s clients become accepted for who they are and appreciated for what they can contribute as part of a whole community.

To learn more about how Time Banking works as an approach to meeting specific social issues and needs, go to the pages on Social Change.