In 2002, I was working at the Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living. I chose that work because I had always felt that persons with disabilities were too often pushed aside — unseen and unheard — and I wanted to do something about it.
One day, I came across Edgar Cahn’s book No More Throwaway People, and it stopped me in my tracks. His words lit a fire in me. They reminded me that everyone has something to give, no matter their circumstances. Inspired, I founded the Washtenaw Talent Exchange — the first Time Bank in Michigan — a place where every hour and every person mattered.
Soon after we launched, I posted a request: my wife needed help cutting branches from a tree in our yard. Harvey, one of our first members, responded. Before a traumatic brain injury changed everything, he had been superintendent of a large urban school district — sharp, decisive, and respected. But after the accident, those opportunities to contribute were gone.
So, on a sweltering summer afternoon, Harvey climbed a ladder with a saw in hand. For two hours, he worked — sawing, hauling, and sweating. I held the ladder and brought him plenty of water. Finally, after the last branch hit the ground, Harvey climbed down, shook my hand, smiled and proclaimed“Thank You!”
It was then that I understood the true gift of Time Banking. Harvey hadn’t just cut down tree branches — he had reclaimed his dignity. And in that exchange, we both discovered a deeper truth: everyone has value, and every hour has the power to change a life.