Mid Maine TimeBank

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

What really scares you? Our TimeBank Director, Stacey Jacobsohn, will be joining other guests for a roundtable on  "Envision This" radio show to examine the scariness of scarcity, or how we came to live in Scare City, and how we might move out. Join us at 8pm Halloween, and call in to talk about what really scares you!

Burl and Merry, MMTB members, are proud and grateful  to announce that this show has been upgraded to "featured host" status by the Blog Talk Radio editorial team.  It is exciting to know that more listeners will get to hear the voices of some pretty inspiring visionaries, and the extraordinary effort that Merry and Burl have made in building community.

ROUNDTABLE: HELPING PEOPLE MOVE OUT OF SCARE CITY

ENVISION THIS...A public that actually sees, acknowledges, and addresses the FEAR and DENIAL obscuring the urgent need to envision a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable future.  In round-table with several former guests, we will discuss how to actualize this vision. We want to help people move from the scarcity of today's culture into an abundant future.  We will explore together: Why is there such rampant DENIAL that we are being brought down by a corporation/government regime? How do we defuse fear and grief (or mobilize them) sufficiently to move past DENIAL? How do we get enough people to see that WE actually have the power once we accept that “The only thing we have to fear is FEAR itself.” How can we help folks to experience the abundance that our Earth offers us? How do we convince people that true COURAGE is not fearlessness or certainty of the outcome, but willingness to act in the face of fear and doubt? Participants will include: Jim Gerritsen, CR Lawn, Gary Brumback, Stacey Jacobsohn, and Merry and Burl Hall.

LISTEN ONLINE HERE!

Call in to speak with the host: (646) 652-2235

Mid Maine TimeBank Coordinator Stacey Jacobsohn speaks to Merry and Burl Hall on the benefits of Time Banking, on "Envision This," a new radio show dedicated to local sustainability and community-building innovations and ideas:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/envision-this/2012/07/13/time-banking-a-more-equitable-currency

Morning Sentinel Online at:

http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/time-banks-offer-chance-to-swap-most-valuable-commodity_2011-10-22.html

Posted: October 23

Time banks offer chance to swap most valuable commodity

By Erin Rhoda erhoda@mainetoday.com

Staff Writer

MADISON -- Peter Sirois is skilled at carpentry but wants to learn to play guitar. As a member of the Mid Maine TimeBank, if he spends an hour building a bookcase for another member, he can get an hour of labor back from any other bank member, including that guitar lesson.

It's an exchange based on time. No money is involved, and joining the time bank is free. The only problem for Sirois, of Madison, is that he has to travel to Augusta or Waterville to reach a larger pool of members. That's why the network of time bank members is expanding into the Madison and Skowhegan area. "This will create a local economy that will rely only on our neighbors helping each other," Sirois said. "I want to see us go back to helping each other out, and this is one way to do it."

Time banks will be the topic of a free event 6-8 p.m., Monday, at the Local 36 Union Hall, at the corner of Old Point Avenue and Preble Avenue in Madison. Stephanie Rearick, director of a time bank in Madison, Wis., which has more than 1,900 members, is the guest speaker.A time bank works better when joined by lots of people offering diverse skills, said Stacey Jacobsohn, coordinator of the Mid Maine TimeBank, which has an office in Augusta. Its more than 100 members are part of the TimeBanks USA network, which operates around the world.

Though several people in the Madison area are members of Mid Maine TimeBank, many more are needed to create a wide range of givers and receivers, Jacobsohn said. Sirois said he's looking for 30 to 40 people from the Madison area to join. People may be community drivers or check in on the elderly, Jacobsohn said. Others, such as attorneys, masseuses and business consultants, may offer their professional skills. Farmers may give vegetables or shear sheep. Anyone can sign up, she said, including individuals, nonprofit groups, businesses, schools, food banks and local governments. People who want to join must provide references and agree to a background check. Members' donated hours are tracked online and are redeemed by anyone within the time bank. It's not usually a direct exchange, Jacobsohn said. People may seek others who can build a website, rake leaves or teach how to cook ethnic dishes. Jacobsohn said she finds people more often want to give than receive.

"That's our biggest challenge is people getting over the stigma of asking for help. Sometimes they don't even know what they need," she said. "It's very important in the time bank that you also learn to receive." Giving to others helps communities become self sufficient, she said. "We can take care of each other. We have all these skills and lots of work to do, and the only thing that's missing is the money. So let's not let that get in the way," she said.

Erin Rhoda -- 612-2368

erhoda@centralmaine.com

UMA Homecoming on Saturday, October 15, 2011, includes an introduction to Time Banking presented by Stacey Jacobsohn of the Mid Maine Timebank (and UMA classes of '83 and '09). Two similar sessions between 1-4 pm will be given to familiarize folks to Time Banking basics. Anyone who is interested in using local time credits to help us build community in practical ways is welcome! Come learn how Time Banking builds our capacity and resilience as a community through respect and reciprocity.

10/15/11

12-6 pm on the Campus Green

Students, staff, faculty, alumni, and friends of UMA are all invited to enjoy a day filled with music, crafts, art, workshops, soccer, farmers markets and food. Come support the UMA community as they reach out to support you. For more information, visit UMA's website at http://www.uma.edu/Homecoming2011.html

Or on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=208387592551043

The Mid Maine TimeBank is hosting Stephanie Rearick of TimeBanks USA in Madison, Maine – Monday, October 24, 2011 

To celebrate United Nations Day, we will meet to discuss local, complimentary currencies as a unifying force for community benefit. The meeting will be held from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm at the Local 36 Union Hall, located at the corner of Old Point Road and Preble Avenue.

The event is open to TimeBank members and the public at no charge. Our guest speaker, Stephanie Rearick, is on an international tour promoting Time Banking and local applications of cooperative currencies. She has achieved notable success as Director of Dane County TimeBank, originating in Madison, Wisconsin. Dane County TimeBank boasts over 1900 active members and hundreds of organizations working together, and has spread to surrounding communities in Wisconsin. Madison, Maine welcomes her innovation and stories of resilience, sustainability, and successful Co-Production.

To learn more about how large TimeBanks make a real difference, check out http://www.danecountytimebank.org/

To learn how to make Mid Maine TimeBank a large TimeBank, come to the meeting in Madison. It starts with making the time!

Check out Stephanie Rearick at http://www.stephanierearick.com She is also an accomplished musician!

This is how we do it! Timebanking at its best!

We have moved Elizabeth Grada's (Libby's) work party to Sunday due to weather and soggy conditions on Saturday. If you can attend, please let us by email: Stacey at info@midmetimebank.org. We are looking for rakers, painters, weatherizers, cooks for BBQ, musicians to keep us happy, etc. Projects include touch-up painting, raking leaves, stacking wood and organizing the garage. If you would like to help us, or help feed and cheer us on, come on over! If you can, bring a rake, rocks (flat ones for a stone wall), a bucket of dirt, and a dish to share or something to throw on the grill. Let's have some fun and help a neighbor. Friends and family welcome! Bring neighbors who want to know more about time banking!

If you need a bunch of help at your house as well, maybe you can be the next group project! Contact Stacey for help.

The Maine Association of Interdependent Neighborhoods is sponsoring its 2010 conference from 8:30 am to 4pm. This Conference is the first step in choosing the issues—legislative and other—that MAIN will work on over the next two years.

Stacey Jacobsohn, MMTB's Coordinator, will talk about time banking and the power of local currency to address social concerns we all share.

Register NOW! www.peacebreadjustice.org

• Sliding Scale fee - $0 to $20

• Lunch provided

• Nearby child care (register by Oct.28th)

• Travel & child care reimbursement

MAIN 2010 Conference—November 5th

“Whose House? Our House! Moving Forward to Gain Economic Justice!”

Join Us to Help Decide MAIN’s Priorities & Choose MAIN Leaders!

Friday, November 5th

8:30 am – 4:00 pm

State House, Augusta

This Conference is the 1st step in choosing the issues—legislative and other—that

MAIN will work on over the next two years. At the conference, you will:

Discuss Issues & Vote on MAIN’s Priorities: You will be able to share own your concerns and experiences in the group. We will talk about what we can do to help us move forward to gain economic justice and security. Each group will make a list of their ideas to share with everyone at the conference. After hearing all the ideas, you will vote on the ones you think are most important. This will help MAIN decide which issues to work on—with your help—during the 2011 & 2012 legislative sessions. You will take part in one of the following groups:

Health Care

Housing/Heating

Safety-Net programs (TANF, General Assistance, Food Stamps, etc.)

Education & Training

Work related (wages, paid sick time, unemployment insurance, etc.)

Economic Human Rights (Right to health care, housing, jobs etc.)

Legal Representation

For more info and to register, please visit:

http://www.peacebreadjustice.org/

Monday, Nov. 1st, 5-7 pm - bring a snack to share if you can!

Are you interested in farmer's markets, food co-ops, food shares, or efforts of food pantries? Farmers, food lovers and people wanting more access to better, local food are invited to join us in exploring our efforts to bring better food to more people. The Mid Maine TimeBank is hosting this event at Barrels Community Market, 70 Main St., Waterville, to generate creative conversations on how time banking can facilitate more access to local growers and providers.

Please tell any farmers you know: volunteers in food distribution, gardeners wanting to help neighbors, and those looking for better food on a low budget. We hope to develop and lead a statewide network of exchange through existing and new orgs and the TimeBanks of Maine (there are five). Please bring a snack to share if you can, in the spirit of the evening!

There will be continuing Community Conversations regarding other subjects, such as transportation, education, and jobs: suggestions welcome (contact Stacey)

Please RSVP to Stacey for this if you are able to attend, or willing to help spread the word, at info@midmetimebank.org.