Intro to MOH Time Bank
TLDR: Fill out this survey if you want to join the newly formed Middle Oconee - Hawthorne (MOH) Time Bank and sign up here if you want to attend the next Offers and Needs Market.
A new bank has entered the neighborhood — a time bank.
The Middle Oconee-Hawthorne (MOH) Time Bank (pronounced “Motime Bank”) is a newly formed, infant-stage time bank open to community members who live inside the area outlined by the Middle Oconee River, Hawthorne Ave., West Broad St., and Loop 10. (See map below)
What is a time bank and why are you trying to start one?
Open to community members who live inside the area outlined by the Middle Oconee River, Hawthorne Ave., West Broad St., and Loop 10.
So let me tell you how the MOH Time Bank can help you have mo’ fun and mo’ time…
A time bank is a community-based economy in which members provide and receive services with one another in exchange for time credits. Each hour of service a member provides gives them one hour of time credit they can use to receive a service from another member.
Time banks have many purposes and functions, but the main idea is to strengthen community connection, trust, and resiliency by building a localized economy that values each person’s offers and needs. Time banks reward, recognize, and honor the work that makes our communities close-knit.
I learned about time banks a couple years ago from Dr. Rebecca Matthew in the UGA School of Social Work, and got a chance to practice doing an Offers and Needs Market with Imani Scott-Blackwell of Hivemind Community Investment Cooperative. As a Forest Heights resident of seven years, I’ve also been inspired by and grateful for the Community Blueberry Project and Blueberry Festival, and I thought a time bank could be another vehicle for building and strengthening community.
How does a time bank work in practice?
A time bank is different from a barter system because services do not have to be, and usually aren’t, directly exchanged between two parties. For example, let’s say Gary needs some help cleaning his garage. Rhonda agrees to help and spends two hours helping Gary. Gary used two hours from his time bank, and Rhonda earned two hours in hers. Rhonda later uses those time credits to get some help from John, who agrees to take her Dad to the doctor’s office.
Members list their offers and needs on a shared spreadsheet or website that only members have access to. Members can also share and match their offers and needs with other members at in-person gatherings called Offers and Needs Markets. As part of the Blueberry Festival this year, we did a demo of an Offers and Needs Market at my house, and then launched the MOH Time Bank spreadsheet.
Kick-off during the 2025 Blueberry Festival demonstrations.
What if I can’t think of anything that I have to offer or need?
The time bank is going to push you to think about what you want to offer your community and what you need from your community. This can be a vulnerable exercise, but it’s worth it. The possibilities for offers and needs are unlimited but include services such as gardening, cooking, child/elder/person care, pet care, house chores, transportation, recreation, walking buddy, tutoring, music/art lessons, handy work, hair, flowers, jewelry, DIY repair, legal services, and on and on.
I’m interested. How do I join the MOH Time Bank?
To join the MOH Time Bank, just fill out this short survey. To join, you must live in the MOH area and commit to giving three hours of your time to anyone in the time bank within the first six months of joining. Shortly after you fill out the survey, you’ll receive a link to access the spreadsheet to share your offers and needs and match with others. This MOH Time Bank Quick Start Guide will also help you navigate the spreadsheet.
When is the next MOH Time Bank Offers and Needs Market?
Forest Heights residents Hind Azami and Jamie Schuetz have graciously offered to host the next Offers and Needs Market on Saturday July 26 at 2pm. Sign up here if you want to attend! FYI, space is limited to 15 people.
Thanks so much for reading and I hope to see you all around. If you have any questions or have an idea on how to support the MOH Time Bank, feel free to reach out to me at joerlavine@gmail.com or check out the in progress, more detailed guide linked below.
Helpful links: