Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Q: How many Cohousing communities use timebanking?

[Joel Bartlett (altairecovillage]

Daisy,

This is a wonderful ongoing topic. Altair EcoVillage was an organizational
member of the TIme Bank my wife Margo and I started in 2004.  When we
stepped down, we ran into some difficulty, because, although we were a
registered non-profit association with the Commonwealth of PA, the
new leadership felt we were "selling houses," and therefore constituted a
"business."  We have maintained an arm's length relationship with the
Phoenixville Area Time Bank, sharing and participating in events.  Any
exchanges helping Altair (woods clearing, publicity, web work, etc, etc,)
are initiated by individuals within Altair and the exchanges are with their
individual accounts.

Meanwhile, several years ago, we reached out to the national list-serve
asking your very questions.  There were no Cohousing groups using
timebanking.  False start at Takoma, etc. We mistakenly thought that this
would be an ideal system within the community to manage work hours.  Not
only does it track people's hours, but it rewards them for participating.
And yes, there is a strong impulse to overlap activities within the
cohousing project and the greater community.  I visited a retirement
community in Lafayette, CA that uses timebanking for the social life
activities.  Bottom line: you can do anything with timebanking - very
flexible.

You say Sunday 4/21, and I assume you mean 4/23?  I may be able to make
it.  It looks like the situation is changed and the attitude toward
timebanking is more positive now.  I'd be curious to interview communities
who are actively using timebanking.  As far as the software, after years of
using Community Weaver (TimeBanks USA), it is shut down and all the time
banks are switching.  That was just today!  Our "new" software is hOurWorld
System, which started out of Portland, Me many moons ago.

More later,
Joel

On Fri, Apr 21, 2023 at 4:54 PM Daisy <daisykbirch [at] gmail.com> wrote:

> I'm starting (or continuing?) an inquiry dear cohousers, because I'm in an
> open zoom call this Sunday, and don't know how many cohousers use
> timebanks.
>
> In national, regional and local cohousing Zooms calls, I hear more
> cohousers reference their local timebank community. I didn't  know they
> existed until after I joined cohousing. Sometimes a coho neighbor will say,
> "*we're both w/the local timebank--shall we bank this hour's work back into
> the community?*"
>
> Some of our community belong to local timebanking, and two of us volunteer
> regularly there (we earn hours). It fosters community w/out $, and it helps
> us engage, within and outside our local cohousing community, which fulfills
> part of our cohousing values statement. I've come to realize that it's fun
> & convenient for some, and also provides much needed meals & services for
> some.
>
> I searched for cohousing/timebanking blends and only found this valuable
> interview: Exploring Cohousing w/Trish Becker
> <https://www.ic.org/podcast-trish-becker/>, where timebanking is covered
> briefly at 40:00). I've found little else *written *about it, so I'm
> starting an inquiry here.  If you know more, please let me know...
>
> *A questions for all cohousers...*
> 1--Does your cohousing community use a timebanking process.
> 2--If you do, do you use it as a community, or do members use it
> individually?
> 3--Which platform do you use to keep track of hours or, is yours a
> *home-made* setup?
>
> *Please email me* if you actively use Timebanking, and want to further this
> inquiry.
>
> If you're interested; we're having a Zoom conversation about (local,
> regional and national) timebanking inter-change on a this Sun, (4-21) from
> 4-6pm ET.  If you want to join us in the inquiry register here
> <
> https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZckc-yurDgrE9Xz1t4krU4W-qmQ8RQebu4s#/registration
> >
> .
>
>  It's hosted by a Cohouser and a Timebank Volunteer together. We're
> inviting cohousers and neighbors who are interested in local, regional and
> national timebanking.  I'll earn 2 timebank hours for co-hosting, which
> will probably be used for our cohousing community again--we used some for
> editing our community's virtual open house video, now on our website :-)
>
> Regardless, please email me if your cohousing neighbors or community
> engages in timebanking of some kind, and if you want to further this
> inquiry.
>
> Warm Regards Always,
> Daisy
>
> Daisy Birch,
> EVC Cohousing Outreach Team Member
> https://easternvillage.org/
> Member, MAC (Midatlantic Cohousing) Board
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