Taking time to cut the line. Jason Endres (right) fills Zacharious Pappas’s
request for assistance with a wood working project. Both men are members
of the Chippewa Valley Timebank.

Got some extra time on your hands?  There’s a brand new way for you to spend it in Eau Claire, literally.  It’s called the Chippewa Valley Timebank.  What exactly is a timebank? you ask, brows furrowed.  A timebank involves trading time, rather than money, spending hours instead of dollars.  Here’s how it works:  First, you spend an hour doing something for someone else in the community and you earn a “time dollar.”  You can then use that time dollar to buy an hour of a neighbor’s time.  For example, you could buy groceries for the elderly lady on the east side of town, earn a dollar for it, and then use that dollar to have someone paint your fence.  Community partnerships are also an option for getting involved, with a whole organization working together toward a common goal.

The basic concept is doing things that you’re good at to help someone else who can’t.  About 60 timebanks have already popped up around the country with about 11,000 people using them. The basic concept is doing things that you’re good at to help someone else who can’t.  About 60 timebanks have already popped up around the country with about 11,000 people using them.  In other words, it’s the cool, new way to “pay it forward.”  The timebank concept creates a circle of dependence and service in a community, connecting strangers and making them neighbors.  The Chippewa Valley Timebank will primarily involve Eau Claire, Chippewa, and Dunn Counties.

Once you sign up to be a part of the timebank, you begin your online balance, which will show you how many “time dollars” you have.  If you do not have access to the internet, timebank staff will assist you and help you find matches to earn and use time dollars.

According to the website for the timebank, “The vision of the Chippewa Valley Timebank is a network connecting individuals by exchanging time to enhance lives, neighbors, and communities.”  The program’s official launch date was October 15th of this year.  To get the ball rolling, the board members for the timebank were recently elected on November 6th.  There are 40 members already signed up, and several organizations already involved, including: Aging and Disability Resource Center of Eau Claire County, Aging and Disability Resource Center of Dunn County, Aging and Disability Resource Center of Chippewa County, Center for Independent Living for Western Wisconsin, Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources Inc., and Triniteam Caregivers.

So how did this come about here in the Chippewa Valley?  The President of the organization, Zacharious Pappas, came up with the idea because he, as well as many others, knew that the Valley needed something like a timebank, but he didn’t know exactly what that would look like.  From there, he says, “While attending the Self Determination Conference in 2010, the Dane County Timebank presented on this very exciting view of non-monetary focused, person centered economy.  From there, I was hooked, I began immersing myself in timebanking research and connecting with others in the Chippewa Valley that shared similar values in the hopes of moving this opportunity forward.”  Pappas has spent over 500 hours (yep, you read right) giving back to the community, in organizations such as the UW-Stout Youth Transitional School and the Center for Independent Living for Western Wisconsin.

The main idea of the timebank that Pappas enjoys is that it reflects an older way of doing things.  “Historically, what made America strong was average community members offering their skills and talents and sharing in a vision to make not only their country stronger, but also their community and relationships with their neighbors,” he says.  The philosophy behind timebanking, according to Pappas, is to value the skills and talents that every person has by giving them a venue to use those skills and talents.  The timebank is a modernization of those old values, while still retaining their original meaning.

The best part?  It’s free to join right now, until January 1st.  After that, it will be $10 for an individual to join and $15 for a family, still a very affordable rate.

Find the Chippewa Valley Timebank at ChippewaValleyTimebank.org