Time banks

Even in the midst of the recession, Portland, Maine, has a bank that’s generating an unusual amount of wealth. It’s a time bank called Hour Exchange Portland (HEP) and the wealth is an alternative currency called “time dollars.” Spend an hour doing something for somebody else; deposit an hour into your time bank account as a time dollar. You now have one time dollar to spend on having someone do something for you. It’s a simple idea that can help neighbors weather the recession while building stronger communities.