Tools & Help

Tampa Bay Time Bank – Member Mentors

TBT Member Mentors are timebanking experts in their regions of the Tampa Bay community. They will help you learn more about timebanking events and member activities and will provide help, support and information on joining and using the time bank software. Contact them and find out what is happening in your area.

Tampa

time banking

FAQS

What is Tampa Bay Time?

Tampa Bay Time (TBT) is a community service exchange, also known as a “time bank,” a

network of people and groups who create an economy of abundance by connecting

untapped resources with unmet needs. We’re part of a world-wide movement of time

banking networks, such as our network, hOurworld, an international alliance of over 500

local time banks whose members have exchanged almost two million time credits at the

time of this writing.

 

How does Tampa Bay Time work in practice?

The concept is simple. Participants help a member for an hour, earn an hour of credit and

spend that credit on services offered by another member. They document these exchanges

in an online database. Since each hour of helping earns one Hour regardless of the service

given, all work is valued, and valued equally.

 

Tampa Bay Time functions in multiple ways–person-to-person, person-to-organization and

and org-to-org. People and groups join and weave-community one hour at a time, extending trust and reciprocity across social, economic, ethnic and linguistic boundaries.

 

How can I earn TB Hours?

Some examples of ways you can earn TB hours can include taking care of a member’s plants or animals, offering information about a city or neighborhood, running an errand, tutoring someone in a different language, cleaning their apartment/house/car, etc.  

 

What makes banking different from the mainstream economy?

 We replace competition with collaboration by creating an economy of abundance by rebalancing mainstream conditions of scarcity for all but an elite few. To do so we replace competition with collaboration, a shift that allows us to connect unused resources with each other’s needs by exchanging our talents and free time for services we’d like to have. We reverse other mainstream assumptions as well. For one, in timebanking it’s as important to receive as it is to give. Instead of striving to “get ahead” of others, time bankers rely on trust, caring and their ability to create jobs for those who want to work. By keeping the Hours we have earned circulating, we keep the TBT community from falling into recession. Along with the fact that an Hour always equals an Hour regardless of the task, our reciprocity practice disrupts downward spirals of growing frustration and scarcity and kick-starts upward spirals of expanding abundance and security.

 

What mission and values shape Tampa Bay Time?

TBT’s mission is to promote equality and build a caring, just and sustainable community-

based economy through inclusive exchange of time and talent.

The Five Core Values of time banking are:

Assets: Everyone is an asset. We all have something to give.

Redefining Work: We redefine work to value whatever it takes to raise healthy

children, build strong families, care for elders, revitalize neighborhoods, make

democracy work, advance social justice and make the planet sustainable.

Reciprocity: Helping works better as a two-way street.

Community: We need each other; networks are stronger than individuals. When

people help each other, they reweave communities of support, strength and trust.

Respect: Every human being matters. Respect for all means accountability to and

for all.

 

Who can join Tampa Bay Time?

People and groups who agree with our vision and five core values are invited to join.

 

What policies and procedures do I need to know about?

• I will not accept or offer money for services.

• I will have lots of fun meeting people and making friends.

• I will respond in a timely way to offers, requests, and alerts.

• I understand that I am solely responsible for my transactions.

• I will participate in Tampa Bay Time at my own risk and will not blame the organization or its coordinators for any decisions or exchanges that I make.

• I will take special care when contracting for child or elder care or work around the home.

• I will take full responsibility for any accidents I cause to myself or others.

• I will take full responsibility for other people’s property that I may use.

 By joining Tampa Bay Time you agree to abide by all guidelines on this website.

 

How do I join?

1.  Set up an account. Apply. Complete the application.

2.  Review the software with a coordinator to activate your account. You can do that by phone 

     or Zoom.

3.  Attend an orientation or social event to make friends, ask questions and arrange   

     some trades.

5. Check our events calendar, make friends, and have fun!

 

Tips for new time bankers:

1. Fill out your profile and bio in full and post your picture.

2. The more members know each other, the better time banking works, so describe your

     interests, skills and activities in your “bio.” The time it takes is well worth it.

3. Post as many offers and requests as you wish, but be sure to post both.

4. Be proactive. Use our powerful search engine to find offers, requests, and members who

    offer what you need or might want what you can offer.

5. Be proactive. Email or call again if at first you get no response.  

6. You may say no, but please respond within two days, even if only to say you can’t help.

7. State availability and skill level–-novice, professional, experienced but unlicensed, etc.

8. Agree on how the exchange worked and who will enter hours. Both parties will

receive email confirmation.

9. Come to events to make friends and arrange exchanges!

What rights do Tampa Bay Time members have?

Every Tampa Bay Time member has the right:

• To be treated with dignity, care and respect

• To earn one TBT hour for every hour of service provided

• To spend TBT hours on services offered by other members

• To save TBT hours in a personal account for later us

• To donate TBT hours to other members or groups

• To have privacy and confidentiality maintained

• To be treated fairly

 

What responsibilities do Tampa Bay Time members have?

Every member of Tampa Bay Time has the responsibility:

• To abide by all policies and procedures on the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page 

• To assess the competence and trustworthiness of those you make exchanges with

• To respect the privacy and confidentiality of other members

• To avoid assigning monetary amounts to transactions

• To be prompt and keep scheduled commitments

• To be accepting of guidance and instructions

• To treat others fairly

• To have fun and share your experiences!



I think we are all endowed with a sense of injustice, with an ability to recognize and respond to disparities, which we should not tolerate, to respond and to recognize unfairness”.  Edgar Cahn