If you haven't heard of this, now is the TIME to check it out!
A new group in San Diego has just started gathering and discussing how to create a system locally. Join in and make change in a new way!
Hope to see you there!
Mariah
From: The San Diego Time Bank <sdtimebank@gmail.com>
Subject: Potluck Meeting SAT @ 10am & Last Week's Notes
(You're invited to bring a dish to share, but we want you to still join even if you can't!)
- Overview of research of other timebanks
- Establish facilitator, notetaker and timekeeper at start of meeting.
- What will our organizational model, specifically as it pertains to voting and decision making, look like?
or to the facebook invite event -- https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=221088601252239
Time Banking Mtg. Notes
Sunday, May 29th 10am
Grant Hill Co-op
Members present: Andrea Carter, Praba, Holly Hellerstedt, Cathy Mendonca, David Krimmel, Paul, Penny, Cara Cadwallader, Joan, Joseph, Fred, Mariah Gayler
Meeting Facilitator: Andrea Carter
Notetaker: Cara Cadwallader
Timekeeper: Mariah Gayler
10:10am Agenda for meeting discussed/set:
- "Who" will the timebank serve?
- What is our timing and benchmarks along the way?
- We agreed to meet for no more than two hours on this day.
Andrea referred to the "TimeBanks USA" Resource Book for addressing a visioning strategy for our local timebank:
- People: Who will the timebank serve?
- Purpose: Why? What are our desired benefits & outcomes?
- Situation: Specific context for San Diego. What is the landscape here? What are our opportunities and challenges? What are the needs that this can be a vehicle to serve?
- Strategies: Different exchanges between groups and organizations. 1 to 1 and many to many varying models.
- Design: Organizational design and what kind of partnerships are we seeking? Non-profit status or group? Fiscal Partner(s)? Paid staff?
- Resources: What do we have in this group right now?
- Finances: What are they?
- Timing: Benchmarks, timelines and plan.
As a group, we also discussed: our initial first steps; how we will ensure responsibility and accountability along the way; what our organizational leadership model will look like; and how to prioritize our goals.
Our collective interests in creating a local timebank included: community building; face to face connections; the destructive nature of a dollar-based capitalist system; individual and collective disconnection; creating alternative economical models; and creating a tool for group and personal incentive.
Mariah shared her experiences with "Berkeley BREAD" - a smaller timebank group can equate to less services offered. Less services = less incentive. Also, there needs to be a core group putting the time into making the timebank happen and the commitment must be long-term in order to ensure longevity of the program.
We agreed that:
- a core group is an important key to our local timebank while Holly suggested that this core group will self-select under Andrea's initiative.
- our timebank will be inclusive of all San Diego County residents. However, we will organize and focus within the mid-city/central area.
- our purpose is to establish an alternative economic system while building community (which will include regular check-ins/meetings).
- community involvement goes hand in hand with individual empowerment.
- a local timebank promotes community and individual PARTICIPATION, while offering a solution to the current economic crisis and high rates of unemployment.
- a lack of fair wages does not value people's time.
- and that, culturally, Americans are afraid to ask for help but we give, give, give. A local timebank sets a model for giving and receiving.
We questioned:
- Do we want to include bartering goods for services?
- How do we include parts in services bartered?
- Is the involvement in the timebank a conflict of interest for for-profit businesses?
- How can we be fully inclusive of all people and not polarizing of those who love a money-based capitalist system?
Solutions offered:
- Mariah suggested that we start out as a pure service exchange which is easier and more straight forward and then build towards bartering for goods which is more difficult to manage.
- Holly believes that setting an across-the-board wage/hour is a great idea. (In the late 90s, Berkeley Bread set their "wage" at $10/hour.)
- Andrea asserted that there in no conflict of interest with for-profit businesses since what one puts into the timebank is what one gets out of the timebank. (i.e. a business can not take advantage of the system by using volunteers and not giving back in exchange.)
- In regards to 'ethics,' business owners who aren't interested in our system won't participate. Again, this is a self-selecting program.
- We will wield language that is in inclusive of everyone and promotes an alternative system that we can all believe in and participate within.
Other thoughts/ideas:
- We will need to create a listserv of who can give and receive what.
- We will use a software log-in, but with who/what?
Resources:
- Online Timebanking Software "Community Weaver" free initial download.
- Timebanking system in Ithaca that is a hybrid timebank with an alternative currency.
Members present, who they represent, what skills they bring to the table and where their interest in being a part of the core group lay:
- Joan lives in University Heights. She is a mother and art teacher, associated with the SD Cooperative School and ARTS: A Reason to Survive. She has skills in grant writing, marketing & public relations and she is interested in being a part of the core Timebank team.
- Fred lives in Golden Hill/Sherman Heights. He works part time in La Jolla and is highly skilled in computer technology.
- Mariah lives in Azalea Park/City Heights and works at the Peace Resource Center. She is interested in being a part of the core Timebank team.
- Penny lives in North County, San Diego part time. She will be available for timebanking meetings and organizing this summer. She is involved with the largest Jewish Congregation Center in the county.
- David resides in University Heights and is affiliated with the local visual arts and museum communities.
- Holly lives in North Park and is a recent SDSU graduate. She is involved in the cyclist community and would like to be a core member of the timebank team.
- Joseph lives in Imperial Beach and can offer screen printing and art work skills to the group.
- Praba resides in North Park and is affiliated with the Couch Surfing community. He is skilled in computer technology and financial planning.
- Cathy lives at the Pennsylvania and 1st Street Cooperative in Hillcrest. She is involved with the faith-based SD organizing project and can offer finance, book keeping and accounting skills. She is interested in participating in the core team.
- Paul lives in College Park and works as a CNA/Physical Therapy assistant. He also volunteers with the National Park Service. He has physical limitations and needs assistance with carpooling to our meetings. He is interested in joining the core team.
- Andrea lives at the Grant Hill Coop and is on the board of the Sherman Heights Community Center. She is involved in the local law scene as well as the coop network and is interested in being a part of the core team.
- Cara lives in East Village and works in the Art Center, behind the New School of Architecture. She is interested in joining the core group for the timebanking team.
Memorable quotes:
"The more people we have, the more power." --Praba
"This is a capitalist system with the currency taken out." --Praba
"People vote with their feet." --Andrea
"Our time is all equal." --Mariah
"Local economies can and do support capitalism." --Mariah
"Everyone is an activist today but doesn't necessarily know it." --Mariah
12:00pm Adjourn meeting
Action items for next meeting:
- Holly is creating a google group
- Everyone perform background research on other timebank models and basic timebank info (Andrea posting video and introduction to google group)
- Everyone talk to others, get them on board and invite them to the next meeting.
THE NEXT TIMEBANK MEETING will take place this Saturday, June 4th at 10am at the Water Tower Park in North Park (in case of rain, we'll meet at Joan's). Bring food to share and invite more people!
Agenda for next meeting:
- Establish facilitator, notetaker and timekeeper at start of meeting.
- What will our organizational model, specifically as it pertains to voting and decision making, look like?
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