Cashing in on time
GLOUCESTER - When Erin Acevedo joined the Cape Ann Time Bank six months ago, building a sense of community for herself and her family, making new friends, and learning a few new skills were all far from her mind. Acevedo had left a job in Boston and had just opened a chiropractic practice in Gloucester. At the time, her decision to join the Cape Ann Time Bank was purely pragmatic. "I saw a brochure for the time bank in the library, and I was looking for a way to build my business by word of mouth," she said. Acevedo offered two "free" visits per month to members of the Cape Ann Time Bank, which facilitates the exchange of services between its members, paid for by so-called time dollars.
But Acevedo's experience with time banks and those of many other members demonstrate that every now and then, an unintended consequence can be a good thing. In her first six months of membership, Acevedo says her practice has grown. And for the working mother, the benefits have gone far beyond increased billings. Her two daughters are learning how to quilt from fellow time bank member Jamie Keshet. Keshet, who is a psychologist by trade, also provides Acevedo with free child-rearing tips during the weekly quilting sessions at her home near Wingaersheek Beach. "I've gotten referrals," Acevedo said. "But the best benefit is feeling more connected to the community."
Gloucester retiree Trish Roach is the local coordinator for the Cape Ann Time Bank. She has been keeping the books for the past few years, exchanging her time and expertise for dog sitting and home repair services. "I had 75 time dollars, but I used them for a dog sitter when I went away for two weeks," said Roach. For time bank members like Roach, going into time-dollar debt is OK. The only thing a member might get is a phone call reminding them that they must add some time dollars to their account before they can start spending again. Roach said she has worked off 40 time dollars but is still about 35 in the hole. "I should be in the black by the end of the year," she said. "It's been fabulous. I've really appreciated the dog sitting and it's been a wonderful way to meet people. It really builds a sense of community."
Time Banks USA is the brainchild of Edgar S. Cahn, a Yale-educated lawyer and former special counsel and speechwriter for Attorney General Robert Kennedy under President John F. Kennedy. After years of long hours promoting organizations and causes connected with social justice and providing a voice to the disenfranchised, Cahn suffered a near-fatal heart attack in 1980. Not one to be kept down, Cahn came up with the time dollar concept during a subsequent appointment as a distinguished fellow at the London School of Economics, where he completed his work on the time dollar initiatives. The time dollar concept led to time banks, which now boast more than 50 branches nationwide and overseas operations in nine countries. The Cape Ann Time Bank is an all-volunteer operation independent of the hassles of scrambling for grant money. Membership coordinator Cheryl Davis has used the time bank for everything from massage to learning to cook healthy Indian food from fellow member Harry Keshet. "I wanted to change to a healthier diet," she said. "Harry knows how to do Arvedic cooking and he taught me how. I've also learned how to kayak, had a birthday cake made, been read to, and used pet care services."
Keshet is a bear of man who wears a T-shirt decorated with two lotus flowers across the chest. In Hinduism and Buddhism, the lotus flower is a symbol for awakening to the spiritual reality of life. The self-employed marketing and organizational consultant has a chronic illness that limits his mobility. The Cape Ann Time Bank allows him to help in the community without having to leave home. "For me it's a godsend," Keshet said smiling. "It also offers the chance for me to call on others for help." Keshet has had help from the Time Bank prepping for his son's college graduation party. He used his expertise as a dance instructor to teach a young couple a few steps before their wedding day. And he has enlisted the help of a member who provides gardening services. "The whole idea is to get what you need, and spend the time dollars," Keshet said. "If you go into time-dollar debt, we're not going to take your house away. But this is not intuitive to people. They tend to work on a scarcity model and are afraid to use too many time dollars."
Keshet would like to expand the Cape Ann Time Bank to local institutions and exchange services to cash-strapped small businesses and nonprofits for the use of their facilities for Time Bank events, such as their monthly potlucks. "They get back services, we get infrastructure," he said. "Time banks provide context to meet every walk of life, every skill - high to minimal - in a way that you meet together truly as equals," Keshet added. "That has a profound effect - seeing each other as productive human beings rather than in a hierarchical way."
copyright Cape Ann Timebanks, 2012
(Joanne Rathe/Globe Staff)
At the Cape Ann Time Bank, Alka Milewsky (left) teaches German and offers garden services and flower arranging; Anna Wickers (center) offers gourmet breakfasts, yoga, and house sitting; and Fred Day (right) provides his services as a massage therapist.
By David Cogger
Globe Correspondent / October 2, 2008