‘Banks’ allow members to pay in time, not cash

June 6, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Associated Press

ALLENTOWN, Pa.

No money? No problem! Pay with time, instead.

That’s what Maria Villacreses did when the economy put a hitch in her wedding plans: She used “time dollars” on everything from a wedding-day makeover to an elaborate, seven-layer cake.

In a modern twist on the ancient practice of barter, people such as Villacreses are joining time banks to help them get the things they need or want without having to spend cash.

In a time bank, members get credit for services they provide to other members, from cooking to housekeeping to car rides to home repair. For each hour of work, one time dollar is deposited into a member’s account, good for services offered by other members.

Scores of time banks are being started in hard-hit communities around the nation — and thousands of devotees are helping one another survive tough financial times.

“Even though we were planning to do something small and simple, it takes a lot of money, time and effort. Through time banking, I got a lot of help,” said Villacreses, who belongs to Community Exchange, a 10-year-old time bank in Allentown, where 500 members offer everything from electrical work to tai chi.

As the economy recovers amid stubbornly high unemployment, newer banks with names such as “Back On Track” have joined Community Exchange in offering an alternative to cash. Time Banks USA, an advocacy group in Washington, says interest in time banking has surged: About 115 now operate nationwide, with 100 more in early stages of development. Membership fluctuates but is believed to total more than 15,000.

“People see time banking as a way to deal with the economic pressures they are feeling,” especially in places hit hardest by the recession, said Jen Moore, membership and outreach coordinator for Time Banks USA.

In Maine, where paper mills and shoe manufacturers have closed, time dollars buy everything from guitar lessons to yard work — even prayer. In California, they buy haircuts, tax help and aromatherapy. In Michigan, child care, plumbing and yoga.

In South Carolina, Back on Track Charleston was launched recently to help down-on-their-luck residents get, well, back on track. It’s already got 80 members.

Winborne Evans relies on Back on Track to supply her with baby-sitting while she picks up extra shifts as a waitress. She’s also using time dollars, which she earns by sitting for other members’ kids, to help get her fledgling beekeeping business off the ground.

“Becoming a single mom recently ... I truly can’t imagine where I would be without it, mostly because I can’t afford a baby sitter, and I can’t afford to pay people to help me with my bees,” said Evans, 29.

Unlike bartering, transactions in time banking are not usually reciprocal. Instead, Jane baby-sits for John, John fixes Mary’s leaky faucet, Mary drives Tom to the doctor’s office, and so on, all of them earning and spending time dollars. Their labor is valued equally: One hour is always worth one time dollar. (Time dollars are not taxable, according to Time Banks USA.)

People often join for economic reasons but wind up getting more out of it. Among the benefits: networking, getting to know neighbors, building a sense of community and keeping skills sharp.

“Part of it is very practical,” said Judith Lasker, a professor at Lehigh University in Bethlehem who is co-writing a book on time banking. “There’s another part of it that’s very ideological. People believe the best way to survive in this crazy, unpredictable world is to forge local ties, support local economies ... and support local people in a variety of ways.”

Time banks are labor- intensive and can be difficult to keep going. Most of the successful ones eventually get a paid staff, either by raising grant money or affiliating with a larger organization. Lehigh Valley Hospital & Health Network, the Allentown region’s largest employer, pays the small staff of Community Exchange.