Nether-Swarthmore TimeBank
Little red wagon awaiting food donations in front of Swarthmore’s borough hall. Photo: Stephanie McDonough
The Nether-Swarthmore TimeBank has stepped up its efforts to help neighbors connect with each other by sharing time and talents. During the COVID-19 pandemic, members have found creative ways to help each other and the community.
A little red wagon outside Swarthmore’s borough hall accepts food donations. Twice a week, volunteers collect and deliver the donations to food pantries at the Bernardine Center and Chester Eastside.
The TimeBank website enables its members to help each other out by exchanging services. Someone might post an offer to help with altering clothes or sewing facemasks, while someone else might be looking for a ride to their dermatologist’s office. A third might need help putting flypaper around their tree trunks to combat spotted lanternflies. Exchanges don’t have to be one-to-one. Rather, a member who performs a service “banks” the amount of time they spent on the task. Later, they can “spend” the time they earned to receive a different service from a different member.
Recently, Mark Robinson posted an offer to help those stuck at home learn to play online card or board games. The result was unexpected.
When Kay Rinko saw Robinson’s offer, she guessed he might also be able to help with apps for reading library books online.
“I was more than happy to assist,” Robinson says. With the help of his librarian wife, he taught Rinko how to use Hoopla and Overdrive.
“Two for the price of one!” Rinko recalls. “It was very informative and fun.”
Kristy Chen picked up groceries for some TimeBank members. “I was out anyway,” Chen says. “I just picked up the short list of items and left them near the front door. Most of the time, I’ve been repaid electronically, so it’s totally contact-free.”
“The initiative shown during this crazy time has positioned us as a valuable community resource,” says Ann Foster, a member of TimeBank’s leadership committee. “Let’s keep the efforts going and encourage even more cooperation among our neighbors.”
To learn more, go to nether-swarthmore.timebanks.org, or call 484-437-8272.
