The Cowry Collective Timebank is a network of people engaged in reciprocal exchange of services, skills, and goods through a timebank where the currency is an hour of time for everyone.
Leader
Chinyere Oteh
Location
2907 S. Jefferson Avenue St. Louis, MO 63118 / 63106
The Cowry Collective Timebank (CCTB) is a network of people engaged in reciprocal exchange of services, skills, and goods through a timebank where the currency is an hour of time for everyone. Through membership in the CCTB people: create and strengthen community bonds, create economic freedom by providing an alternative means to get needs and desires met, and encourage creativity in redefining self-sufficiency, interdependence and valuation of time. The CCTB introduces a paradigm where members reflect on the available resources in their lives moving from a perception of scarcity and lack to abundance and wholeness.
In 2014-15 The Cowry Collective Timebank seeks to expand its offerings to the community in the form of four areas: 1) Timebanking 100 Series, 2) skillshares, 3) film nights connected to our lending library and 4) urban farming workshops. The expanded offerings we propose are all geared toward growing individual and organizational membership, thus increasing our collective non-monetary ‘buying’ power. The Timebanking 100 Series of workshops will be offered monthly at community sites throughout the city. This series is hands-on, fun and can be tailored to suit the needs of various organizations. Our growing, mobile lending library will be available to the public during the workshops as well as at skillshares and film nights. Skillshares will allow current collective members to showcase their talents through workshops that will be open to members and the public as a whole. Current members are seasoned gardeners, chefs, musicians, and artists of all types. Film nights will highlight new additions to our lending library focused on supporting a rich, anti-consumerism lifestyle. Urban farm workshops will take place at New Abundance Farm and will be mutually beneficially to the farm and surrounding community and the collective. Educational family food preparation classes will be held on-site with instructors earning cowries (time credits) and food shares.
October 2014
November-December 2014
February - March 2015
April 2015
The Cowry Collective Timebank is needed in our community as a tool for addressing economic inequalities that exist across racial lines and for bridging racial divides through community building that happens one hour at a time, between individuals. St. Louis is the sixth most racially segregated city in the United States. Such rigid segregation is accompanied by lack of equal access to resources that should be equally afforded to all Americans no matter their income or race. As a rigidly racially divided city we are mindful to hold meet-ups at community sites throughout the city to engage a racially diverse membership and to make our timebank accessible to all and particularly for those in lower-income areas. We know that the relationship-building and access to resources that The Cowry Collective provides plays a crucial role in healing the wounds of distrust and separateness the are currently plaguing St. Louis, MO.