The Ferndale Time Bank: Volunteers Working Together for a Better Community
Ferndale is a city full of talent. Many residents possess unique expertise in a variety of trades, occupations, and abilities. The Ferndale TimeBank is working to create a consortium of those willing to share their talents with others; building bonds between neighbors and garnering a true sense of community.
By signing up to be a part of the TimeBank, Ferndale residents are guaranteed equal help in return for the help they give. Whether it is painting walls or landscaping, driving or tutoring, everybody’s strength is equally valued and equally rewarded.
The Ferndale TimeBank started in 2010 and has been growing ever since. The organization operates on four core tenants: assets, work, reciprocity, and social capital. It values each citizen who participates and their talents equally. Every person who volunteers an hour of their time working for someone else earns a Time Dollar. For every Time Dollar a participant banks, they are then entitled to that many hours in return work from another TimeBank volunteer. This unique system of time management (all done digitally through a special software) makes giving and receiving help within your own community, easy. It is the ultimate neighbor-to-neighbor volunteer exchange experience.
With its commitment to community and activism, Ferndale is seemingly the perfect city for a TimeBank. Joe Spain, who recently took over as coordinator for the organization, believes Ferndale’s diverse group of talent makes it an ideal location. “Ferndale is a unique community, very friendly and walkable. It’s a city where everybody wants to give back and get to know their neighbors. TimeBank’s focus on building great communities and neighborhoods one person at a time. Ferndale fits perfectly within that model,” said Spain.
Aligning with TimeBank’s commitment to valuing every citizen, membership is open to all ages, races, creeds, and walks of life. It’s also a perfect opportunity for new citizens and new homeowners to get involved in their new community. Membership is growing, and the more people who join, the more diverse the talent pool becomes. “We’re now up to 82 members, each with unique abilities,” Spain said. “Since starting, we’ve had over 66,000 hours traded within the community.” That time equals up to a lot of improved homes, finished projects, and successful events.
The TimeBank isn’t just about members giving back to members; they often organize as a large volunteer group to help with different projects and events within the city. “We’re very involved with the city, so whenever they need a group of volunteers they call us and we put the word out to our members,” said Spain. “Recently, we participated in Clean the F Up and Pride and had a great time. We’re looking forward to taking part in many other events throughout the year.” The TimeBank members also hold their own events, including a yard sale fundraiser and monthly potluck get-together for members to help build a sense of community within the organization.
Joining the Ferndale TimeBank is easy and can be done online. Joe prefers to meet with new members face to face, in order to build a personal connection and help explain the TimeBank process and the software that keeps track of Time Dollars. There is an annual fee of $25, but members are rewarded with the opportunity to join a large pool of volunteers that really make a difference in the community. Volunteers find that TimeBank is much more than just work; it’s about meeting new people, networking, and having fun with a likeminded group of local volunteers.
Joe Spain is encouraging everyone who is curious about getting involved to give volunteering, and TimeBank, a try. “Everybody has a talent, and everybody is valuable. Some people say ‘what can I do?’ If you can babysit, do yard work or anything in between, we want you to be involved. Everybody can make a difference.”
For more information about the Ferndale TimeBank visit www.Ferndaletimebank.org.
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