Your Weekly Community Magazine
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Week of April 25, 2014
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Vol. 7, No. 17 – FREE
Lending A Helping Hand COMMUniTY nETWORk ALLOWS MEMBERS TO EXCHAngE SkiLLS, TALEnTS AnD SERviCES
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By Daniel Meyer Star News Writer
A tremendous dollar-saving and community-building program is now available to Chautauqua County residents thanks to a unique time exchange network that enables members to utilize their skills, talents and services by using time as currency. Chautauqua County NY Strong is a designated “time bank” that provides opportunities to save money on things such as home improvements, medical care and babysitting by encouraging residents to help one another by taking advantage of their individual talents. The three main goals of Chautauqua County NY Strong are: 1) Strengthen the fabric of the community 2) Serve people and give them a means to serve 3) Establish new relationships and meet real needs of community members “There are some amazing possibilities for individuals in the community and for the community as a whole as more and more people take advantage of this tremendous skills exchange,” said Julie Fagan, an associate professor at Rutgers University who is coordinating community time banks across the country.
7534 ROUTE 380, STOCKTON, NY
Members of the Louisville, Kentucky time bank celebrate the second anniversary of its start. (Submitted Photo)
“This helps engage people and often times motivates and stimulates community projects such as a new playground or a community garden to come to fruition. The opportunities really are unlimited, especially when you engage people from all walks of life to get involved.” For every hour that someone invests in helping a member or participating in the community exchange network program, they have an hour placed into a “time account” that they can later access to spend on any service offered by any other member of the network. Everyone’s time is valued equally, meaning one hour’s time provided by an attorney, plumber, landscaper, electrician, hair stylist or anyone else in the network is banked as one hour. A computer program helps provide a listing of each member’s specific skill set and their individual needs
and everyone’s time credits are recorded. Much like most other types of cooperative service organizations, the more people who join as members means the greater pool of services is available. In addition to the creation of professional relationships, time banks can also help foster friendships and improve relations amongst neighbors. “People get to meet each other and become friends and you generally see more direct interaction when people share their skills through community exchanges,” said Fagan. “We recognize that each individual has talents to share and that the overall community is strengthened when neighbors help one another. Using time credits by redeeming for services for others generates the never-ending cycle of sharing.” The launch of the local time bank has already provided
many opportunities for individuals to get involved in their community. The system has brought many in- CALL US FOR YOUR NEXT dividuals together, including HOME IMPROVEMENT PROJECT helping pull some residents out of isolation by introducing them to fulfilling professional and personal relationships with other people, some of whom they may WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED! have lived near but never re38 TEMPLE ST., FREDONIA 679.0300 ally had a specific reason to 332 FLUVANNA AVE., JAMESTOWN 338.0300 reach out to their neighbor. DFTCOMMUNICATIONS.COM/ELECTRICAL In addition, the use of time as a form of currency has benefited those who have struggled financially. Fagan has helped to establish time banks all across the country and remains focused on her long-term vision of every resident in our nation having access to a time bank in their neighborhood. “My goal is to have one of these based in every county in the United States,” for all your community said Fagan. “We already
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