Hour Dollars is a service exchange program for residents of the Twin Cities and surrounding suburbs. It functions under the umbrella of the national organization, Time Banks. The primary purpose of Hour Dollars is to provide a way for neighbors to easily exchange time and services. When neighbors exchange services, they build strong ties within the community, and everyone benefits.Mission and Goals
The mission of Hour Dollars is to strengthen our community by providing members the means to meet each other, share their skills, and solve problems cooperatively. It is also our intention to value every member's time equally and be accessible to all interested members of our community.
Our program is founded on these principles and goals:
AGREEMENT TO PARTICIPATE AT MY OWN RISK AND HOLD THE HOUR DOLLARS TIME BANK HARMLESS.
As a member of the Hour Dollars Time Bank I understand; that the Hour Dollars Time Bank does not guarantee or warrant the fitness, safety or the quality of work of any of its members;
As a member of the Hour Dollars Time Bank I agree to undertake and request neighborly acts of kindness, caring and assistance with other members of the Time Bank; assume the risk of injury, harm or damage in connection with my providing or receiving Hour Dollars Time Bank services; hold the Hour Dollars Time Bank and its members harmless from any and all liability, actions, claims and damages of any kind, including those caused by or arising from negligence, for injury to person or property.
As such, I will try to the best of my ability to respond to a member's request of services of me within 72 hours; be polite and helpful, but clear about the amount of the services requested I can provide; perform quality services to the best of my ability; and, perform my services in a safe and careful manner.
I certify that I have read this document carefully, that I understand its terms, that I recognize that it constitutes a waiver of legal rights, and that it is enforceable to the extent allowed by law.
As a member, you EARN hours by providing a service (such as gardening, minor home repair, piano lessons, or driving) to another member who requested the service. You then use your earned hours to RECEIVE a service from any member in our service directory.
You decide what services you would like to offer. Everyone's time is valued equally: one hour of actual service is always equal to one hour of credit in the program, regardless of the type of service provided.
A database keeps track of services that members are willing to provide, the number of hours they have earned, and the balance of hours in their accounts.
Earned hours can be exchanged only for services within the program. They cannot be redeemed for cash.
Hour Dollars is currently operating with over 200 members. Anyone living in St. Paul, Minneapolis or surrounding suburbs is welcome to join.