By Grace Maselli
The Tampa Bay Timebank Leadership Team has been as busy as 80,000 honey bees in a colony. No kidding. They’ve been envisioning, planning, writing, and doing—all along the way sweetening the connections between and among our 549 members. This includes a focus on areas of expansion.
This unfolding expansion, dear member, is where you can earn TBT hours for your activities—and exchanges—with fellow members by moving as the bees do: productively (and “in the context of ‘electric fields’!” It’s all true!).
Our all-volunteer org means no paid staff or central office. No Gal Friday. 
What we do have: several coordinators managing the website and handling organizational planning. All other activity is generated by you, valued member, for members. And because we charge no fees, TBT relies on volunteer energy and donations whenever materials or cash are inevitably required.
What follows are some significant areas of interest that TBT would like to expand to meet organizational need. Some categories are only bubbling ideas at the present moment—or, significantly, they’re being handled by just one person.
So here’s the thing, if you’d like to get involved, don’t hesitate. Be like the bee and getta move on with another person or small group. Jump into something that maps to your passion or skills or both. We’re all ears and also open to hearing suggestions that may not be on this list. So please let us know what strikes your fancy and we’ll attempt to 
make it happen.
In the mean time, take a look through our Action Groups list and each category’s quick description to see what you think. To get things rolling or ask questions, contact coordinator@tampabaytime.org.
Action Groups
- Administration Action Group
Handles administrative necessities including paperwork and phone calls.
- Community and Group Projects Action Group
Engages in community service.
• Co-Production Action Group
Helps other organizations with their projects.
• Education Action Group
Either attends or offers educational workshops.
- Emergency Services Action Group
Volunteers to help in an emergency. Those with medical credentials can use them. Others may offer transportation, phone contacts, or general support. We’d like people to join in various geo areas so we always have people nearby to call.
- Entertainment Action Group
Selects fun things to do for members and schedules open social events. It is a good way to get to know other members before making exchanges.
- Events Action Group
Puts on events around the area, such as Gathering with a Purpose and Introductory events. Support staff is always needed.
- Field Trips and Travel Group
Plans trips and tours around town.
- Marketing Group
Handles TBT marketing and advertising.
- Membership Action Group
Keeps in regular contact with members.
- Monthly Program Gatherings Action Group
Designs monthly programs held at Tampa’s Life Enrichment Center. Support is always helpful. Participants arrange speakers, food, transportation, and communications.
- Orientation Group
A trained group of people to help new members get acquainted with the website and members.
- Social Adventures Action Group
Selects fun things to do for members and schedules open social events and tours, for example. It is a good way to get to know other members before making exchanges.
- Social Justice Action Group
Involvement in specific social justice action-oriented projects.
- Social Media Group
Manages the Facebook group and other social media activities and announcements.
- Speakers Group
Makes presentations to various organizations about timebanking.
- Spiritual Study Group
People interested in metaphysics and spirituality who attend various local study groups and events.
- Technology Group
Helps with all the TBT technical requirements, including computer repair, setting up equipment for events, finding necessary equipment and connections for various media purposes, providing software assistance, photography, film-making, and more.
- Trainers Action Group
Trained trainers who carry out various programs such as formal orientations, introductory workshops, Gathering with a Purpose workshops etc.
- Transportation Group
Helps people who cannot drive to attend TBT events and sometimes arranges for personal travel needs.
- Welcome New Members Action Group
As the name implies, members of this group welcome new members via phone calls and small get-togethers to help new members become oriented and connected with existing members. Group members also help to facilitate new exchanges.
Readers can also support our Florida timebanks by donating equipment and supplies and cash for needed items. Among our ongoing requirements: supplies for potlucks and events, (think, paper plates, utensils, napkins, paper towels, pens, paper, name tags, office supplies, color printing, and bottled water). You get the idea! If you have things lying around that you don’t need and that you think TBT could use, please let us know by contacting coordinator@tampabaytime.org. We’re eternally grateful!
Check this out from the History Channel: “While some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial—which probably occurred around A.D. 270—others claim that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to ‘Christianize’ the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.”
TBT Valentine’s Potluck on Sunday, February 16 from 3 to 6 PM. Wear your heart on your sleeve or on a special V-Day T-shirt! Bring your So-Easy Coq au Vin to share or other Vintage Valentine’s Day classics: Salmon Mousse Canapes, Baked Oysters with Tasso Cream (whatever Tasso Cream is), Crown Roast with Apricot Dressing, or luscious Fudge Tort. Or if it’s easier, bring Mac ‘n Cheese and black olives on all of your fingers and thumbs. They’ll go well with the paper plates and plasticware.
