Summer Virtual Socials 2021
/JUNE 2021
The mix of personalities and experiences at a timebank social always makes for a lively event, especially when we touch on a large number of topics. At the June Virtual Social, the conversation ran the gamut from dog-walking to frugal living; from caregiver support to haircuts during covid; from bike repair to ways to lower the cost of phone plans. We discussed “buy nothing” and “trash nothing” community groups. Oh, and… did someone say there are Singles Nights at the hardware store?!?
It was a fun time but also with a serious note. One participant shared that she had reached out for help at home following a surgery. Her recovery was faster than expected, so she didn’t need the help after all. But she was comforted by the fact that two members she had never met quickly offered to help with meals and other household basics. Though the timebank can never guarantee that a request will be fulfilled, especially on short notice, it’s good to know that we are a community of people who care.
JULY 2021
A friendly, lively group met via Zoom for the SSTB Virtual Social in July. These socials have no set agenda; they are just a time for timebank members to connect and get to know one another.
This time, we spent much of the two hours discussing what services we needed, even if we haven’t posted formal requests for them. These services included computer/printer set-up, repairing vintage knits, dog care, cleaning a car, weeding, painting doors, online sales help, and more.
Live discussion is one of the most successful ways to share and respond to other members’ requests, and we were able to make several timebank “matches” on the spot!
We also discussed how to let the public know about the timebank and how we can show current members all the benefits of getting involved with running the timebank.
AUGUST 2021
A small but energetic group of members met on zoom for the last virtual social of the summer, on August 21, 2021. Jonathan Bernstein demonstrated the different styles of immersive “seating” on Zoom, and we opted for the stadium seating so we could see everyone better!
As in most fun social events, conversations covered a wide range of topics as we shared information about ourselves, our interests, and some of our exchanges. In timebanking, we don't have to provide a service to the same person who provides a service to us, but sometimes it works out that way. We talked about rides to/from airports; finding someone to teach sewing, and replacing zippers as some recent exchanges. We learned about volunteer editing work, contract tracing for COVID, the return of the hospitality industry, the podcast Club House, and ideas for possible walks.
Since Jacqie Wallen will host the September virtual social, she was eager to learn about the responsibilities and made a point to attend in August. She will earn timebank hours for her efforts. You too can earn hours by hosting one of these socials (that will remain virtual for the foreseeable future). No experience is needed, just an interest in spending time getting to know and socializing with other timebank members.
SSTB members earn hours for all kinds of timebank tasks, including tech help, writing event announcements and summaries, promotion on social media, orienting new members, etc. We’d love to have more members involved!
Please contact silverspringtimebank@gmail.com to discuss opportunities to help, whether for a single event or a recurring task. If you like, you can even join one of the timebank leadership teams and work on an ongoing basis on event planning, outreach, communications, or member support.
Thank you to Dale Brown, Robin Handleman, and Laura Kranis, for hosting this summer’s socials; Jonathan Bernstein, for coordinating registration and tech; and Charlotte Cook and Laura Kranis, for writing the event summaries.
More Virtual Socials are on the way! Put these on your calendar now, and be sure to check the Announcements in the weekly hOurworld email updates for the links to register.
Sun., 9/19/21, 3pm-5pm
Sun., 10/24/21, 3pm-5pm
Sat., 11/13/21, 3pm-5pm
