Exploring a Community Timebank: Are We Ready?
Initiated by Meredith Faltin, we’re exploring what it would take to start a neighborhood timebank, a system where neighbors exchange time.
The idea is simple: one hour of your help = one hour of someone else’s help, and we don’t need to exchange money to support one another.
But sustaining a timebank takes shared commitment, participation, and care. We’re organizing working sessions for folks interested in helping to build a time bank from scratch, starting first in Jackson Heights, Queens, and expanding from there as the community grows. Let us know if you are interested in helping by contacting anjali@makejusticenormal.org.
In the first phase, our goal is to walk away with clarity on if our collective community is to set a pace for development that matches our readiness. We’ll:
Look at real examples of timebanks in other neighborhoods
Walk through how timebank systems and exchanges actually work
Discuss what roles and responsibilities are needed to keep one going
Reflect on our collective capacity, interests, and readiness
Time Bank Facts
Time banking is a mutual support system where people exchange services using time, not money. Every hour you give to help someone earns you one time credit. You can then use your credits to receive help from anyone else in the network. Everyone’s time counts equally.
Reciprocity: circular, not one-way. You earn credits when you give time; you spend them when you receive time. Eg: A parent who offers 2 hours of tutoring earns 2 credits they might later spend on reciving help with errands or meal prep.
There’s a mix of needs and offers. If everyone offers the same thing, no one can spend their hours! Strong networks include many kinds of skills.
Exchange is tracked and transparent. Everyone logs what they gave or received, keeping the “time economy” balanced.
Everyone’s time is equal, but everyone’s needs are different. Some can give more hours, others fewer at different points. The goal is fairness, not perfect symmetry. Reciprocity happens over time and through the network.
