WHAT MAKES A GOOD TIMEBANKER

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We’re almost six years into the TimeBank Santa Cruz experience. As a founding member, I’m just starting this blog as an outreach strategy. There’s certainly lots of blog fodder to sift through.

Let’s start with the qualities of a good TBer. The bottom line, of course, is participation. But that’s a pretty low bar, like saying we’ll take you as a member if you’re still breathing and can look reasonably alert from time to time. We say we look for ‘resourceful folks with practical skills to share’. We say, anyone willing to maintain a high level of trust is invited to join. That’s narrowing the field a bit, no?

Anyone want to translate that italicized sentence for me? It’s code, ya know.

Our goal is to create a network of people who are available, responsive and responsible to each other. That’s getting more specific. Basically, are you willing to be there for your fellow TBers? That is the real bottom line.

I’ve lived in Santa Cruz County since ’63. What I notice is there are lots of people who have fabulous kinship groups and extended families. And there are other people who don’t have even a shred of a support system to fall back on.

Timebanking seeks to re-weave the strands of our social fabric that have unravelled. Good TBers are those weavers.

August 16, 2017