The Time Bank of the Mahoning Watershed

In my recent blog about Scrooge's Auto Shop I placed a link to the Time Bank of the Mahoning Watershed. Since that time I have been approached for information about the time bank and how it works. The Time Bank is a service exchange program based on Time Dollars, the currency of equality that empowers individuals to utilize their assets to enhance their lives, neighborhood, and community. Time Banking is a community of people supporting each other. The way it works is an individual volunteers to do "X" amount of hours of service performing tasks in which he or she is skilled. The hours when worked are deposited in the time bank. Then when the individual needs a service performed he or she has time dollars to spend. You go to the bank and see who is offering the required skill, contact that person, and make arrangements.
The Time Bank is organized around five core values:
1. Assets- We are all assets. Every human being has something to contribute.
2. Redefining Work - Some work is beyond price. Work has to be redefined to value whatever it takes to raise healthy children, build strong families, revitalize neighborhoods, make democracy work, advance social justice, and make the planet sustainable.
3. Reciprocity - Helping works better as a two-way street.
4. Social Networks - We need each other. People helping each other create supportive communities, strength and trust.
5. Respect - respect demands accountability.

If you are interested in signing up to participate or learning more about the Time Bank, please go to the Time Bank for Mahoning Watershed.