Whittier Time Bank

Mission

The Whittier Time Bank facilitates skill-sharing and skill-building to promote reciprocity and community self-reliance.

Our Philosophy

The Whittier Time Bank operates on the truth that every person has something to give. Time banking's system of reciprocal exchange means that recipients of service are also providers of service. Time banking's self-organizing design offers strengths-based volunteer job placement for rewarding, meaningful skill-sharing.

Our Vision

Our vision is to create a more self-reliant community through neighborly sharing, volunteerism, education, and sustainable practices.

Programs

This year we are hard at work building the Make Space: Whittier Free Store and Artisan Work Lab. Slated to open in Summer 2015, the Whittier Free Store - like a consignment shop, but the items are free - will accept donations of unused items in good condition and offer those items to the general public.

The Artisan Work Lab will work in tandem with the Free Store. Local artists will have access to the Free Store’s diverted waste stream materials to make fine art as well as traditional and folk art.

Our programs stem from the Neighborhood Work Exchange (join here), a group of volunteers who earn service credits (time dollars) for providing professional or neighborly services to other members. Time dollars can also be traded for education in our hands-on skill-building workshops, now offered in collaboration with Trade School L.A. Workshops have included fruit tree grafting, beekeeping, biodiesel, etc. Neighborhood Work Exchange members have also leveraged time dollars to organize backyard farms, fruit picks, a Free Café, and more. 

We Are A Network of Catalysts

Whittier Time Bank Merges with Catalyst Network of Communities

Throughout 2014, the Whittier Time Bank steering committee discussed re-branding to reflect the time bank's work in sharing, skill-building, local food access, community-supported agriculture, waste stream diversion, leadership training, and coalition-building.

In 2015, the Whittier Time Bank became a project of Catalyst Network of Communities -- our umbrella organization under which also operates the Whittier Free Store project. Catalyst is a 501c3 nonprofit social impact organization which helps people connect, collaborate, and share resources.

Time Bank Newsletter Renamed "Sustainable Whittier"

The Whittier Time Bank newsletter, now entering its fourth year of publication, was renamed Sustainable Whittier and is available as a local news kiosk to promote events that benefit the community.

The newsletter's mission is connecting people to skill building & sharing events for community self-reliance & earth justice. Sign up for the Sustainable Newsletter newsletter here.

To publish an article in Sustainable Whittier, please review our submission guidelines.