Time banks are popular around the world, and Columbus is lucky enough to have a very active time banking community. Hello, My name is Vilvi Vannak; I am the president of the Care and Share Time Bank (CSTB) -- a time bank based right here in Columbus, Ohio.  

Difficult economic times that see most of us struggling to make ends meet, a general lack of community, and a feeling that our own hard work doesn’t get respect -- all of these things can be helped with time banking! Perhaps you heard the broadcast of Freakonomics on Sunday, August 18, about time banking?  Here is a link to the broadcast: https://youtu.be/wQJVb3EQg50?si=yJiYmvAa9PN7BZf3

The parent company of the CSTB, hOurworld, boasts  350,503 members and 3,139,371 HOURS OF SERVICES EXCHANGED! The CSTB has over 480 members, with over 26,000 hours of services exchanged!

Time Banks are popular for many reasons. Many people value the special feeling of community; the relationships they've formed by knowing the wonderful people they've worked with in the time bank contributes to their sense of accomplishment.  

Otherslove the knowledge that they are providing valuable work -- that everyone can earn time credits and participate fully regardless of age or disability. The self-worth, dignity, and respect one gets by helping out others can be wonderfully fulfilling.

Also, especially in tough economic times, a time bank can be important for middle-class and struggling families. Exchanges can be done without money. The idea is that EVERYONE can provide and receive help!

To give an example of a time bank exchange:

You help out a fellow time bank member cleaning out their garage. You work for 3 hours, so you earn three credits. Now, you can “spend” those credits for services you need.

You  need a  ride to the airport, so you look on the time bank website where you see that eight of the members are offering that service. You contact one of the eight and arrange for her to drive you to the airport. 

That job takes her one hour to perform. So you give her one of your three credit hours. You still have 2 credits to trade for other things, and she’s got the one she just earned.

You’re not just trading back and forth with the same person; you’ve got over 480 (and more) people offering various services to you, and over 480 (and more) people asking for others to provide services to them.

The list of requests and offers goes on and on:

Dog walking

House sitting

Reading the newspaper to relatives in a nursing home

Simple household repairs

Entertaining at a party

Editing a memoir

Sewing

Leaf raking

Snow shoveling

Helping someone move to a new apartment or house

Exercising companionship 

And dozens more.