Capital District Mutual Aid Time Bank is facilitated by Troy Democratic Socialists of America. We believe that time banking and mutual aid networks are socialist projects, and it is our priority to develop these projects within the frame of socialist ideology. 

What is TimeBanking?

Timebanking is a system that allows people to exchange services for labor-time credits instead of money. The concept is based on the idea of reciprocity and community cooperation. Through a political lens, Timebanking is an alternative to Capitalism where everything is for sale and we are all measured in the value we can bring to the table. Time Banking thus gives us an opportunity to create and be active parts in creating value and exchanging services in a collective framework. 

Timebanking can also be described as a free exchange of time and skills. People give an hour of their time to help someone, and earn a 'time-credit' that can be exchanged for an hour of help for themselves from anyone in the Timbanking community.

The 5 core values most found in Timebank communities are

1. Everyone is an asset

2. Some work is beyond a monetary price

3. Reciprocity in helping

4. Community (via social networks) is necessary 

5. A respect for all human beings

TimeBanking is a different way of building community through trust, where members exchange their talents, time and services.

A service exchange or time bank is a network of individual, organizational and business 'members' that provide services, track and bank their hours and then spend those hours to get their own needs met. A service exchange is NOT a barter network, since nothing is 'exchanged'. One 'member' provides a friendly, neighborly favor to another and records the time they spent doing so.

Timebanking Value Foundation and Practical Functioning

 A TimeBank works best within a community of 15-50 people who are connected and know of each other. By becoming a member of a TimeBank you earn time credits by fulfilling the help requests from others, which they can then spend on the help they need.

TimeBanking “time” has equal value. E.g. 2 hours of helping another person within the time bank by fixing a wobbly stair board or a hole in the roof has the same value as 2 hours of weeding a vegetable patch. 

TimeBanking has a home online where folks write up their asks and their offerings. There should be a reasonable time ask and best if it is something that can be planned a few days/weeks in advance. Folks can offer help directly in the TimeBank and sort out the details with the person directly. 

There will also be TimeBanking asks for a group of people. Say - you ask for 4 folks for 1 hour each for painting 3 rooms in your home. If a TimeBanking ask is too large and will put the person asking in too much “time debt” it should be discussed in the Committee and a solution should be found - e.g. breaking up the task into smaller entities. 

Let's say there are timebanking asks and tasks that are deemed “more urgent”. E.g. someone will be handed a fine by the city if they do not clean up the tall grass around their place. This is urgent as the authorities came by and are on a mission to stress the Friendly Socialist out and gave them a short timeline. The Friendly Socialist A - who is also part of the Troy TimeBank - will request 3 hrs of TimeBanking help from 3 people for 1 hrs or 1 person for 3 hrs or 2 people for 1.5 hrs each. That ask will have the same value as 3 hrs of weeding/harvesting vegetables, even if the vegetables are on a much more laid back time schedule . BUT the ask from Friendly Socialist A will be deemed a higher priority due to the urgency of the matter. The Committee Chair makes that determination.