LMTimebank.org - Vancouver, B.C. Canada » TB Success Stories

TimeBanking a great excuse…

admin — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:33:43 +0000

“It shouldn’t require an epic disaster to bring people together, but it is all too often the case. Why do we need an “excuse” to go out and meet neighbors on the street corner, to show hospitality to a stranger or to anticipate and respond to the needs of others?

I don’t have an answer for this, except to say that, if some kind of excuse is needed, then TimeBanking is such an excuse.

TimeBanking works proactively where storms work reactively, in providing opportunities and reasons for people to gather. It is the loom upon which community can be woven, as long as there are people willing to pull the threads.”

TimeBanks associated with the TimeBanks USA get a regular newsletter (one day I’ll get to doing ours! ) and in the latest newsletter there is an update from the head office membership coordinator. She tells a great story of spontaneous local community building during the Washington, DC snowstorm (not this year in B.C., we have a “green” Olympics).

She poses an interesting question at the end which really speaks to the core of TimeBanking. Can we offer ourselves and be giving to others anytime not just when times are tough? Adversity brings out the best sometimes, how about anytime?

Have a read if you wish:

“Maybe some of you live in a place where three feet of snow is not a big deal. Here in Washington, DC, three feet of snow is equivalent to the End of the World, and in fact, in many circles last week, the storm was dubbed the “Snowpocalypse.” Washingtonians endured whiteouts, blackouts, brownouts and not-being-outs.

I personally shoveled approximately twelve cubic tons of snow. Well, that is probably an exaggeration, but it was a lot. A shovel was stolen from our front porch, the awning buckled under the weight of snow, one bush in the yard will never be the same. Everything shut down, from schools to churches to local and federal government. I really did a double-take when I saw this message scroll across the TV screen: “Spiritual Insights cancelled.” Now THAT is some storm!

In the midst of the chaos, the sore muscles and the cabin fever, there was a lot of friendly neighborhood camaraderie (minus the shovel-stealing, of course). There were countless “community digs,” as we began to call them, in which four or five people with shovels came to the aid of stuck vehicles. Neighbors clustered, beer and popcorn in hand, to watch another neighbor tow a service van up the hill with his Nissan truck.

When, after two days, snowplows had not come to our street, everyone pitched in to carve out some road. People of all ages, races and ethnicities came together to dig out from under the snow. We learned to speak a common language of groans and sighing, giggles and knowing looks. In short, it took the snowstorm of the century to achieve the kind of community for which I have always hoped.

It shouldn’t require an epic disaster to bring people together, but it is all too often the case. Why do we need an “excuse” to go out and meet neighbors on the street corner, to show hospitality to a stranger or to anticipate and respond to the needs of others?

I don’t have an answer for this, except to say that, if some kind of excuse is needed, then TimeBanking is such an excuse.

TimeBanking works proactively where storms work reactively, in providing opportunities and reasons for people to gather. It is the loom upon which community can be woven, as long as there are people willing to pull the threads.”

- Jen”

What say you?

Check out TimeBanking at http://LMTimeBank.org .

If you’re already a member, stay involved and make a difference in someone’s life today, while letting them make a difference in theirs. It’s about giving and receiving equally!

Rebuilding & Revitalizing That Community Feeling

admin — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 20:43:48 +0000

What happens when times get tough, money is tight and jobs scarce?

Should people sit at home and wait for the government to save them?

Should people complain to the big corporations that terminated their jobs due to bad management or poor market conditions?

Sure some people will, and others….well, they know that “if it’s to be, it’s up to me!” and they get going making things happen themselves.

TimeBanking is a great tool for good times and a life saver in tough times, it is a great idea any time.

Birthed out of the unfulfilled needs in big city USA where people had plenty of time but no money, TimeBanking is an ingenious way to discover and utilize, for everyone’s benefit, the vast personal gifts, talents, time and resources waiting to be given and wanting to be received from individual to individual…via TimeBanking!

A TimeBank is a web based data bank resource of catalogued skills, talents and desires available for members to “browse” and ask to receive as they are needed, what they need and exactly when they need it! Members “advertise” what they want to give to others in time and talent.

A TimeBank is also data bank resource of what help people need. Any member can post what they need or want to receive. Members “advertise” what they want to receive from others in time and talent.

Match a need with a talent or available time and you have TimeBanking. No money, just people helping people with exactly what they need.

The software keeps track of the time you give to others and you can use your time credits to receive from other members whatever it is you want to receive that they are offering to give.

Be a giver and a receiver of time and time talent. Meet and share with your community members the gifts of time and talent we ALL are capable of giving.

When the jobs are gone the skills remain and everyone WANTS to work, be productive and contribute. Everyone has needs and everyone loves to give.

TimeBanking creates an opportunity for the needs and the wants to be met and fulfilled.

Living costs money, but it costs a lot less if most of what you need you can get from your local TimeBank members and all you give back is your time, your way to any member that requests what you are willing to offer!

Check out TimeBanking as a way to revitalize, reconnect and really enjoy being a part of a friendly, caring neighbouthood, community or city.

The Lower Mainland TimeBank is also committed to help set-up TimeBanks anywhere in Canada….check it out!

http://www.LMTimeBank.org

TimeBanking Worldwide Interest

admin — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 20:33:07 +0000

In case you didn’t know TimeBanking is a topic of interest around the world.

Here’s the stats for countries viewing this one little TimeBank website…over 2,000 hits per month in March 2009!

Traffic to the Lower Mainland TimeBank website March 2009

WHAT? Yep and from countries far and wide. here’s the list of countries checking out TimeBanking via www.LMTimeBank.org

Countries Viewing LMTimeBank.org March”09

Positive Reviews! Even ABC News Agrees…

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:36:40 +0000

It’s true! Nothing but positive, positive, positive…. feedback.

People GET the idea of TimeBanking.

They GET the potential benefits.

They GET the possible positive impact to communities.

ABC News even gets it. On Saturday, ABC Morning News, Good Morning America, aired a news story on TimeBanking…..here it is:

ABC Good Morning America News Report on TimeBanks

And people get the idea of TimeBanking quick. Usually in just a couple of minutes you can share the idea and benefits of TimeBanking to new person, and they get it quick…. did I mention that?

Every time I talk about TimeBanking to someone new I wait for their reaction and I don’t have to wait long…. right away people say:

“What a GREAT idea!”

“Wow, that is really cool!”

“Wow, I’m very ingrigued by that.”

“That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever heard.”

I have always hated selling. Most of my businesses have involved me having to sell from time to time…. I prefer to teach and support. I’m a bit of a wuss, I don’t like to hear “NO” too often, or “What are you talking about” or “That’s a dumb idea”.

So here I am with a new project (making this TimeBank thing work) and every-time I talk to people it feels good. They smile, they nod, they agree and they want to hear more!

How cool is that?

Everybody?

Pretty darn close and the the worst reaction is they don’t want more info. Even a wuss like me can handle that!

So join me in spreading the word, tell your friends, strangers, business owners.

We have a chance here to revive, revitalize and build anew our local community with not only the heart (it’s always been there) but the process and minimal structure to encourage, allow and reward people for who they are and for being the best of who they are with members of their community.

So come on educate yourself, review our website, join, participate and spread the word. I can almost guarantee it will feel good!

Have an awesome week!

Here’s that ABC News story link again:

ABC Good Morning America News Report on TimeBanks