Hello everyone

I’m Emily.  I met most of you at the pot luck.  I’m also new to the area, and also friends with Mark and Chi.  I probably live the farthest away from this time bank. However, I am willing and interested to drive up to Cleveland to contribute my time and most of the needs I have to post don’t require coming to our place.  

My husband and I recently got married and moved here from West Virginia.  He’s an engineer. I’m an artist (primarily a painter). In West Virginia, I was working as an exhibits coordinator for th State Museum. These days I am working on my art, and various different jobs until I find a dream gig again. This summer I am working with kids in a community center starting an art program.  We are also painting a mural at the center.

Eric (my husband) and I have a large farm-like place in East Sparta in the country.  I say farm-like because we have a barn but we aren’t using it for anything at the moment. We have some land which we have planted with multitude of mostly fruit trees.  

We also have a house from the ’30’s which we’ve have started to work on. Since getting the house, I have been a helper with foundation work, exterior painting, fence building, and tree planting. I have also done the following things on my own: fixed cracks in plaster walls, interior painting, faucet replacement, and basement waterproofing.  

What I bring to the table:

Although my experience is limited, I would be interested in offering help with similar home projects.  

I am also interested in contributing: childcare, grant writing/proofreading, yard work, basic Spanish and/or Portuguese tutoring, mural painting, general help around the house, and studio assistance.  I have a tiny etching press if anyone is into printmaking which I would be willing to share.  I also know a bit about 3-D CAD work, as I recently finished a course in Solidworks.  

Here’s what I could use help with in the near future:

Marketing and web design help for a collaborative art project I am working on, called Constellations of Women (see http://www.emilyvigil.com for details) 

Distributing flyers about the project at venues in Cleveland

And down the road:

Help putting in insulation (the eco-friendly paper kind) and drywall in my studio.

I look forward to getting to know everyone better when we start working with each other!  

P.S.  As a side note, I did work on a bunch of historic document reproductions when I was at WV Culture and History—just in case anyone is looking for an alternate identity….

Filed under: Uncategorized

Hi,

I am Cigdem (“chee” as in the first part of cheese and “dem” as in the first part of democrat) . I also go by Chi. I am from Turkey, and I have lived in the US since 1999. I am a filmmaker and an adjunct professor at CSU. My husband Mark, our two-year-old daughter Audrey and I moved to the area last summer. I am very excited about the group.

 Here are some things I can offer:

• Childcare
• Hosting a playgroup for 2-3 year olds
• Turkish lessons
• Final Cut Pro lessons
• DVD Studio Pro lessons
• Dubbing VHS tapes to DVDs
• Recording your favorite TV shows onto DVDs
• Studio assistance (skilled in video, not so skilled in other areas)

 Here are some things I could use:

• Childcare
• Web design lessons
• Vegetarian meals
• Help around the house

Filed under: Personal Profiles

Michelle Murphy

profile picture

I am a local artist, professional photographer,and photography instructor at the Cleveland Institute of Art.

I am excited to participate in this exchange.

Some things I would like to contribute to this group:

Family Portraits
Individual portraits or headshots
Mural painting
Roller skating lessons
Grocery shopping on Sundays

Some things that I would like to learn/receive from this group:

Home improvement stuff (once Matt and I purchase our home)
Help moving to our new house
Piano lessons
Sewing – Learning how to sew skirts and dresses and how to make patterns
(I have a machine and I am a beginner)
Web Design help or lessons

Thank you!  🙂

Filed under: Personal Profiles

Hi, I’m Mark

 

I’m excited about this group.  My wife Cigdem, 2-year old daughter Audrey, and I moved to the area late last summer.  We don’t know a lot of people here yet, so this group seems like a really good fit.  We’re really liking the Cleveland area, and are eager to build a community of friendship and support.  I live on the west side (Rocky River) and teach photography at CSU.

 I’m from southern Indiana.  I got my MFA (and my Turkish wife) from Ohio University, and taught for 6 years in West Virginia.  I’m writing from IN where I’m visiting my parents.  I just played my first softball game in 30 years with some old high school friends.  I earned the nickname “Combat Barrel Roll”. 

 I might use some help:

• Putting in a paver patio: could use someone with Bobcat experience
• Making wooden frames for some large photographs
• Babysitting, parents who could provide a combined playdate with our 2-yr old preferred
• Landscaping / gardening help (is THIS a weed?)
• Help updating my personal website, and learning more about the software (Dreamweaver and Flash)
• Help dealing w/ snow in the winter (anyone got a plow? Snow blower?)
• Providing my students w/ art or photo related field trips – to studios, galleries, etc.
• Help getting a decent family portrait (I can provide the equipment and space)

 Help I might provide:

• I have a pickup truck
• I have a roof rake (for snow)
• Digital documentation of artwork
• Studio assistance
• Software: Photoshop, and some Illustrator and InDesign
• Childcare (esp. as a combined playdate w/ my 2-yr old)
• Unskilled whatever (painting rooms, hitting things with hammers, etc.)
• Limited photography services

Filed under: Personal Profiles

For discussion: Leadership roles

Hi all,

We need some people who are interested in filling some leadership roles in the time bank. I think that we can adjust their recommendations to our own needs, but I do think we need some people willing to take charge of some aspects of the bank. I don’t think that these roles will take very much time, especially after we get the bank off the ground. I think the most important thing is that we have some people who are excited about the bank and that way we can feed off of each other’s energy.

Each person will only be expected to fill the role for six months (we can change this number if people would like), so that it’s not a huge commitment and so that we spread the feeling of ownership broadly over the group. It is also suggested that we have a backup person in each role, like an understudy or assistant, so that if the main person is sick, out of town, etc. there will be someone who can step in and also so that when the six month rotation is up, we’ve got another person ready.

Here are the roles they recommend, with some descriptions. These are, as always, flexible, but I think it will be good for us to decide that roles we do want filled for our bank and what the responsibilities will be.

• “Time Bank Ambassador:” Mainly in charge of recruitment, networking, perhaps hosting some future potlucks, outreach to other local groups, putting together fliers/brochures about our time bank.
• “Membership Coordinator:” Getting to know all the members in the bank and their skills/needs, new member orientation, keeping in touch with members (letting them know about upcoming events, etc.), helping to make matches. This is one that I would be willing to do for the first rotation.
• “Events Coordinator:” Coordinate and plan periodic social gatherings for the group. They recommend monthly gatherings, but I think we could do quarterly, or every other month. Obviously everyone doesn’t have to come to every party, but we still don’t want to overload people’s schedules. It is important to have some gatherings, though, because a sense of community is an important element of the time bank, and the better we know each other, the more comfortable we will feel making matches. These could also be group outings, like apple picking or sledding. The events coordinator might also work on a time bank “open house” along with the ambassador, or work with time bank members who would like to lead a class to schedule such an event (yoga, cooking, etc.)
• “Web Master:” Training members and trouble shooting on the Community Weaver software, as well as keeping up our community page on the software and this blog. This person would read the software manual that I assume we will receive, and would also be the contact person for technical issues to TBUSA.
• “Admin:” Organizing, especially, taking care of dues, petty cash, TBUSA membership payments, fund raising (if this is something we decide we need to do–from what I can tell, this usually becomes an issue for really big and ambitious time banks that have a paid staff member or become a 501(c)(3)).
• “Team Leader:” Makes sure that all the leadership roles have a primary and backup person and that everyone is happy in their positions, not burned out, and so forth. I’m not sure that this is absolutely necessary, but if someone is interested, it would be nice. Alternatively, we could combine these duties with one of the other jobs.

Let me know what you think of this breakdown–does it sound like a good plan? Anything important missing? Anyone want to volunteer (please!)? As I said, I’ll be happy to start as the Membership Coordinator, but as it stands now, I’m the default for all of them.

Thanks!

Filed under: General Information, leadership

For discussion: Dues

Hi all,

So here are some of the basic points regarding our decision on dues:

• If we stay under 35 members, our annual membership to Time Banks USA for usage of the software will be $99, but if we go above that, our membership will be $500.
• We also want to have a little extra per person to cover costs of social activities, literature we may want to purchase for the group, office supplies if we print brochures for recruitment, scholarship memberships for low income members, etc.
• Dues of $15 per person should cover us if we stay under 35 members, but if we think we will soon go over that, $25 per person will be needed . . . unless we have a recruitment boom and get up to about 75 members, at which point $15 would again be sufficient. These numbers are from their chart based on their experience. We probably could get away with $15 per person at 50 members if we were frugal, I think, but better to be safe than stuck in the lurch?
• So some options: start at $15 per person with the understanding that next year dues could go up, and in the meantime, try to keep membership under 35; OR start at $25 and be safe; OR start at $15 or $20 and try to recruit more friends quickly so that we can cover enough to pay $500 by the time our six month “free” period has ended.

• Time Banks USA (TBUSA) also recommends that groups add a time dollar element to the yearly dues as well, like 2 hours per person per year. I think this is a good idea because it could help us get the bank going and encourage activity in the bank. These 2 hours could be time helping with the running of the bank, like training new members on the software, designing a brochure or leading a presentation on how our bank works at a future pot luck. Alternatively, people could also donate to the group coffer two hours of their time earned providing their regular skill services to other members, and we can then use those group hours as rewards, etc.

What do you all think? Does anyone else have any different (better(?)) ideas?

Thanks!

Filed under: General Information, dues

Next Meeting!

We’ve scheduled our next time bank meeting, so come if you can, bring friends, or just send your friends our way. We’ll be discussing the time bank, having another pot luck, and after this, we are going to launch the time bank, so even if you can’t come, stay in touch.

Here are the details:
Tuesday, May 26 6:30 pm
Kristin’s House
1376 Fry Avenue
Lakewood, OH 44107
(near the corner of Fry and Detroit)

Bring some food to share.

RSVP to clevelandtimebank (at) gmail (dot) com.

We hope to see you there!

Filed under: General Information

Next Meeting?

Hi all,

I’ve been meaning to post about another meeting for a while. I’m excited to get this off the ground, and I am thinking that after we have one more meeting, we should just start it up. I can contact the organization about starting our six-month use of the software, and then we can be on our way.

Kristin offered his house as a possible location for our next meeting. That sounds good to me. Another votes/suggestions?

Here are some possible dates:

Thursday May 21, evening

Saturday May 23, anytime

Tuesday May 26, evening

Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturdays are generally best for me. Other thoughts?

Filed under: General Information

greetings

Hi gang,
I must say, I’m pretty new to this blogging experience (if that is in fact what I am doing here)….? Uuuuhm, well, I’d like to reiterate my enthusiasm for the Time Bank, and I’m looking forward to getting things rolling. Below is my initial list of contributions and needs.

S0 — yeah — when do we get together again? I have some friends who are interested in participating. How many people should each of us “core” folks bring to the next potluck? And, again, if y’all wanna have the next one at our house on Fry, it’s cool by me. Lemme know……

Can do:
> minor repairs (misc.) (http://newsenseonline.com/k_repairshop.htm) >some house work (bulding, painting, cleaning, yard, etc.)
> child care (all ages)
> pet care
> driving assistance
> tutoring / teaching
> copy editing and writing
> bike repair and biking instructions
> computer assistance
> graphic/web design (http://newsenseonline.com/consulting.htm)
> cooking
> candle making

Looking for:
> child care
> garden help
> house work (painting, fixing-up, etc.)
> help in my art studio (studio assistance, as they call it)
> pet care (when traveling, etc.)
> yard work (landscaping, upkeep, etc.)
> small project electronics consulting (for art-related projects)
> help with my own website upkeep

Filed under: General Information, admin

While eating a peanut butter sandwich …

hugs

Hi, this is Hoyt. I am typing this while working at SPACES, where Chris is my boss. But I’m eating lunch at the same time, so let’s call it a sanctioned break, k?

About me: I live in Berea with my husband Dan, our vicious Norfolk terrier Winks, and Paco, the best cat ever. I spend more time reading than is probably healthy. If the sky is blue instead of putty/gray/white, I am happy. I have lived in Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and now Ohio … each move has taken me further east. At this rate, we’ll be living in New England by 2012.

I am excited about the time bank concept and hope I can contribute. Here’s what I’m thinking I can offer:

• Editing, copywriting, proofreading,  etc. (lots of experience at this type of thing)
• Grantwriting or an introduction to finding funds for nonprofit organizations
• Rides to the airport (very close to Berea)
• Babysitting in your home (my house is kid-less, so I don’t have all of the crazy kid gear)
• Knitting lessons
• Baking or cooking meals
• Basic publications design

I need:

• Mowing, edging, other yard work
• Home maintenance and interior painting
• Housesitting
• Haircuts

Keep me posted on how things progress! Thank you guys for organizing, and let me know what I can do next.

~Hoyt

Filed under: Personal Profiles