Cumberland County Edition
February 2015
Vol. 16 No. 2
Taking Your Time to the Bank Neighbors Trade Services as Part of Community Time Banks By Lori Van Ingen Bartering was a concept Polly Weiss was familiar with. So when Weiss came across her community’s time bank, a twist on the old barter system, she was intrigued. “Spend your time, save your money” is the motto of the time bank. All you need to do is “give an hour to get an hour,” she said. Give your time to help a member, “bank” that time, and watch it add up. When you have banked enough hours, contact another time bank member to help you with a project you need completed, and that member banks hours helping you. “It’s easy. If I can do it, anyone can,” Weiss said, “no matter how daunting it looks at first.” When Weiss signed up, she said she could “help design your garden and identify plants or where to put them. I’m not digging, but I will give advice on the garden. Also, I can help to plan a trip.” Her first assignment was to go to one woman’s house to tell her how to prune her garden. She also told the woman, a photographer, where to put benches and arches for her backdrops. “I had a wonderful time,” Weiss said. When she was finished, Weiss logged two hours into the computer on her account. please see TIME BANK page 13 Polly Weiss logs hours in her community’s time bank by providing gardening advice and trip-planning services to fellow members.
Inside:
Traveltizers: San Antonio’s Grand Fiesta page 10
A Hidden Warning Sign for Heart Attack and Stroke page 12