Monadnock Region's Alternative Economy is Growing

(SFX Chainsaw.)

Shelley “how short do you want to make them.” “as short as you like.” “Pretty short because they’ll dry faster, if they’re short.” “Like this?” “Perfect.” “I just did those.” “Rev em up!” … chainsaw.

On this hot, bug-bitten day in Antrim, Peterborough resident Jim Orr has come to put in some hours at Shelley Nelken’s home.

Time bank hours.

The two are members of the People’s Service Exchange.

A community resource center in Antrim called The Grapevine matches people who have skills to offer with people who need a service.

And whether they’re offering legal advice or yard work, everyone earns one time dollar per hour.

For example, Deanne Dubois needed some alterations to a few shirts.

She’s a member of the Exchange, so she was connected with another member, Hilda Bridgewater, who knows how to sew.

But in this case, Bridgewater didn’t want to take the work on.

“Uh, what I like to do and I’m good at, is hand sewing? I’m good at, there’s modesty for you, um, but this is machine sewing and zig-zag, and quiet honestly I’m not very good at that. But I think Lisa is?

If Bridgewater had done the work, she would have reported the time she spent on it to the Exchange, which would record it as banked hours.

She could spend those hours by asking someone else to help with something she needs.

And here’s a good selection to chose from.

The 150 People’s Service Exchange members offer about 200 services ranging from physical therapy to music lessons to masonry to proofreading.

Gerry Chagnon coordinates the program and is also a member.

Since she’s disabled, she uses a lot of the services herself.

“And if I had to pay for them, you know, even having someone come in and wash my windows, or I had someone come in and do my floors, and I would have had to pay for that and at this point it you know would have cost more than I could have afforded.”

The number of time dollars that members have in “the bank” varies depending the kinds of jobs they offer and the needs they have.

And unlike a regular bank, the Exchange lets people spend more time dollars than they’ve put in.

Organizers figure those members will probably catch up over time.

But the flexibility of the arrangement may actually be helpful when it comes to dealing with the Internal Revenue Service.

It makes the Exchange more of a service organization rather than a barter system.
On the other side of the equation are folks like Jim Orr, the fellow with the chainsaw.

He’s banked more than 15 hours and used only one.

Since December’s ice storm, a lot of people have needed his help.

And he knows that at any point he might find himself needing help too.

“In a split second you can be whatever paralyzed or bedridden or all sorts of things can happen to you and that’s probably a time when I would call on a lot more services than I do now. Part of it too is just my personality, I’m just sort of an independent kind of guy and prefer to do things for myself rather than ask for help.”

Chainsaw under

Whatever the reason, Orr seems to think the bug bites and blisters are worth it.
A lot of other residents in the Monadnock area think the Exchange is worth it too.
Organizers says its membership has grown nearly 40% over the past year.

For NHPR News, I’m Donna Moxley.