What is the Time Bank? | Guest Column

It detailed some of the experiences of Diane Emerson, a global volunteer, in working with time banks, particularly in New Zealand, and her advocacy for establishing a time bank here in San Juan County. Emerson has witnessed repeatedly the capacity of time banks to increase the economic and social resiliency of the communities where she has worked. In the two months that have passed since Emerson’s visit, through considerable research, communication with Timebanks USA and the efforts of a core group of local volunteers, the task of establishing a county-wide time bank (aka, time exchange) is well underway.

February 7, 2012 2:02 pm

by Mark DeTray

Special to the Sounder

Many of readers may recall a Dec. 9, 2011 story in the Islands’ Sounder, “A new bank for Orcas Island: the Time Bank.”

It detailed some of the experiences of Diane Emerson, a global volunteer, in working with time banks, particularly in New Zealand, and her advocacy for establishing a time bank here in San Juan County. Emerson has witnessed repeatedly the capacity of time banks to increase the economic and social resiliency of the communities where she has worked. In the two months that have passed since Emerson’s visit, through considerable research, communication with Timebanks USA and the efforts of a core group of local volunteers, the task of establishing a county-wide time bank (aka, time exchange) is well underway.

The local time exchange initiative is now ready to adopt a name and motto – this will be accomplished through an informal county-wide ballot. A temporary website has been set up with the ballot link at: www.VisionOnOrcas.com. Both the “Home” page and the “Programs” page, which details the initiative, have the link to the ballot.

Once the name and domain name and motto have been determined and affiliate membership has been received from TimeBanks USA, the temporary webpage will be replaced with an interactive website specific to our county-wide time exchange. Morgan Meadows, acting coordinator for the time exchange initiative, anticipates the website and database will be up and running and ready for folks to enroll no later than March 1.

Ongoing workshops and presentations, as well as fundraising events, are now being organized by a growing number of volunteers; dates and times will be posted in local community calendars. The first fundraising endeavor, hosted by Samara Shaw, is a pie sale that will be held on Feb. 11 and 12 at Island Market. If you are interested in helping with this pie sale, please call Samara at 376-6771.

Emerson has kept in touch with Morgan Meadows to encourage and learn from the local initiative. She wrote, “I can see how important it is for an effort like this to get off to a good start. What you are doing, Morgan, looks to me to be a model for all other new time banks. So please document the heck out of it if you can. I cannot tell you how delighted I am at the progress you are making.  Wow.”

Simply put, this initiative is indeed off to a good start and is on its way to providing a county-wide network that will strengthen our island communities.

Mark DeTray lives on Orcas Island.