If you are looking for ways to make your community a safer place, you may want to consider looking into time banking. Time banking is a relatively new concept that takes the element of community and utilizes it to create a type of currency system. Through time banking, it’s possible to instill a sense of coherency in your community, simultaneously making it a safer place to live with your family.
What is Time Banking?
The concept of time banking revolves around a type of barter system that uses units of time as a payment method. In this currency system, one hour of “time” equals one “Time Dollar”, which is used to purchase services from the Time Bank.
How does it work?
Let’s say, for example, that you have prior experience training dogs. Through the time banking system, you would offer your dog training services as being available for the other members of the community. When someone contacts the Time Bank about dog training, you would have the opportunity to offer your services. For each hour that you spend helping others train their dogs, you would earn one “Time Dollar”.
Now, say your son or daughter would like to learn piano. Through the Time Bank, you can find a piano teacher that is also offering their services through the Time Bank system. You could spend your earned “Time Dollars” for a few hours of piano lessons each week. For giving your child lessons, the piano teacher would then earn their own “Time Dollars”, which they could spend on other services from the Time Bank.
What are the Benefits of Time Banking?
Time Banking is a concept that emphasizes giving back to a community, and a willingness to help others. By getting to know the members of your community on a personal level, you are reaping many many of the same benefits that come from other neighborhood programs, such as joining your local neighborhood watch program. In addition to this, you are also gaining access to the services organized by the Time Bank, which gives you the ability to obtain services such as:
- Tutoring
- Computer Repair
- Electrical Work
- Yard Work
- Nutritional Counseling
- Personal Fitness Training
- Dancing Lessons
- Business Consultations
- Company Marketing
- Theater Performances
- Child Care
If you are interested in finding out if there is a Time Bank in your area (or, if you would like to start one), you can check the national Time Bank directory here.
Sources:
[2]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Banking
