NOLA TimeBank Neighborhood Expansion

NOLA TimeBank is re-thinking Money. Instead of money we are using the currency of Time. It’s a revolutionary way of channeling our efforts and energy to rebuild communities. TimeBanking rewards neighborliness and volunteerism with a multiplier effect.  It’s the right thing at the right time for New Orleans.

Every person in a community has something valuable to contribute: child care, elder care, minor repairs, teaching, computer assistance and more. NOLA TimeBank members create connections and strengthen their communities by sharing time and skills with each other.

When a TimeBank member spends an hour helping a second member, the first member earns credit in the TimeBank, which they can use later to have a third member do something for them. This in turn generates time credit for the third member.  Every hour in the TimeBank has equal value. When these exchanges are undertaken by multiple individuals within the group, it creates expanding and accelerating networks of support.

TimeBanking is a complementary currency that inspires and generates generosity in the way that people give AND in the way that people receive. TimeBanking stands alongside the money world. It cannot replace it.  

Our goal is to increase resource exchange, cooperation,and access to alternative work and learning opportunities among diverse groups in New Orleans. In addition to strengthening our current members’ participation, we will provide orientation, training and outreach to increase membership in two neighborhoods where we have fewer members, the populations are socially and culturally diverse, and we have existing partnerships.

(1) Revise current orientation workshop to increase its effectiveness, by September 30.

(2) Stimulate service exchanges among current members by establishing regular monthly social events, making it easier for members to identify their needs and skills, and supplementing our current computer-based means of matching service offers and requests, by October 31.

(3) Establish monthly orientation workshops and recruit leaders in our targeted neighborhoods: by October 31 in Broadmoor, and by January 31 in Bywater/Marigny.

(4) Develop, pilot, and establish full implementation of procedures for: following-up with new members, routinely reviewing member needs and skills, and supporting member communication to make exchanges, by November 15.

(5) Establish regular monthly social events in our targeted neighborhoods: by December 31 in Broadmoor, and by February 28 in Bywater/Marigny.

(6) Monitor and report on membership counts and exchange activity to reach project goals, monthly.

Our challenge is the diminished sense of community resulting from our local history, and modern society’s tendency toward mobility, individualism, competition over cooperation, and busy lives consumed with economic struggle or gain.

New Orleans has a poverty rate of 29% while the US rate is 16%. Unemployment is high and social and economic divisions result in a lack of broad social networks. Our project addresses these challenges by bridging between diverse people, with norms of equality and reciprocity.