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Friday, March 29
The Indiana Daily Student

Group encourages locals to trade time and talents

ciTimeBank

Members of hOUR Bloomington, the city’s first time bank, work with an alternate currency — they exchange time and talents rather than dollars and dimes.

Several existing members had an orientation Wednesday night at the Monroe County Public Library, where they gave an overview of the organization and introduced its ideologies and inner workings to a few newcomers.

“There’s no money involved,” said Andrea Avena-Koenigsberger, one of hOUR Bloomington’s co-founders. Instead, those who join operate on a give-and-take system. Hours are exchanged and tracked online, where members can post requests and offers for services like gardening, tutoring, pet sitting and cooking.

If a member needs something, he or she can post a specific request, filed under an appropriate category. Fellow time bankers can answer those requests, and log their hours after fulfilling them. On the other side, a member can list whatever they have to offer based on strengths — a math major can offer tutoring services or a gardener can offer time spent helping a neighbor landscape.

Time bankers’ online profiles display the hours they have given and received, and their net value. Teddie Mower, another co-founder of the time bank, said the goal is for the two numbers to equal each other.

After hearing Mower was moving from Louisville, Kentucky, to Bloomington, Avena-Koenigsberger contacted her about starting a time bank. They teamed up with Ryan Conway, the third co-founder, and hOUR Bloomington was born.

Mower said she thinks the exchanges cultivate a stronger community and contribute to a greater sense of security.

“I know Bloomington is a place for it,” she said. “Everyone has something to offer.”

The time bank began in May and currently has 30 active members. Mower said the city’s network is growing, and everyone is invited to join — even kids and students. The only requirement is attendance at one orientation meeting, where existing members meet potential ones and get to know them. Mower also said she wants a greater diversity of people to join. That way, different talents and services will be available for everyone.

“You decide how personal you want it,” Avena-Koenigsberger said.

The Bloomington hOUR branch operates as a part of hOurworld, a worldwide time bank with about 34,400 members. The philosophy of the organization, according to a video shown at the orientation, involves equality — the same value is placed on everyone’s time, whether it’s spent driving to the grocery store or cleaning out an attic. Statements similar to those sent out by banks are even available online to members.

The most widely requested needs are often looked over, Avena-Koenigsberger said. Members try to be creative when coming up with services or talents they have to offer, posting offers like tech help or computer programming lessons, but the most popular exchanges are things like car rides, nights of babysitting or yardwork, she said.

“The little things end up being the most important,” Avena-Koenigsberger said.

Monthly potlucks and a private Facebook group keep members connected between exchanges.

Conway said he had been interested in the concept of a sharing economy for a while before starting the time bank. He said he thinks hOUR Bloomington is a great way for people already heavily involved in the community to further come together.

“It’s helping us to coordinate and help each other in new and dynamic ways,” he said.

Though there are founders, and individuals who do marketing and orientation events for the organization, Mower said there’s a reason no one person or group is in charge.

“We’re trying very hard not to have a hierarchy,” she said.

She is in charge of hOUR Bloomington’s tech, and said there are operations in place to prevent mistakes or dishonesty. When members log hours, they must list both the service and the individual for whom the service was done. An email is then sent to that individual.

Mower and Avena-Koenigsberger said they’re excited for the growth of the time bank.

“It’s all giving and receiving,” Mower said. “We all need each other in some way.”

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