Let’s Tawk “Exchange”

By Grace Maselli

The life blood of any timebank is its exchanges. What a person offers to another member.
What a person receives. An hour for an hour. When the timing and need sync. No matter if you’re pulling weeds or pulling teeth. Could be a household chore. An errand to the dry cleaners. A visit to someone in the hospital. A meal for their family.

It’s the stuff of caring. Often with meaning way beyond money; rather, it’s about the actions and deeds that thread and join the interdependent fabric of community. Youth—teens—can be involved too. According to the chores list on “VeryWellFamily,” here’s a sampling of what youth might also contribute to their local timebank exchanges:

  • Plant watering
  • Pet feeding
  • Pet walking (and litter box cleaning!)
  • A scrubba dub dub of pets, pets’ things, and cars in driveways
  • Babysitting (complete with chocolate chip cookie baking)

Orrr…

  • Lawn mowing
  • Hoisting and heaving plant cuttings into bags, then tossing bags into appropriate receptacles
  • Light housekeeping for older people
  • Reading/companionship to housebound folks

    So consider getting your teens into the swing of timebank things. Because you never know when the effort can really make a positive difference in someone else’s life. And yoursOpen our TBT timebanking flyer  for more info.