![]() We want to see neighborhoods made safer not by policing but through trust and respect. We want to see the curtains opened and the doors unlocked. Residents have been locked inside their homes with curtains drawn, separated from each other for much too long. More than anything we want the region to embrace the idea that everyone has something to offer and that our community as a whole is vital to our success. Our hope is that this will work to create greater equality by showing that no one's time is more valuable than another's. People were helping one another and felt a strong sense of "Ypsi-pride." hOur Exchange Ypsilanti takes that existing value and allows people to earn hours which they can then use to create new relationships and learn what this community has to offer. hOur Exchange Ypsilanti is a much needed presence in a city where many of its citizens have fallen on hard times.Įven in its inception we were building on a sense of community that already existed here in Ypsilanti. For example: Adrianne now has a way to pay for finishing her basement which she could not have done otherwise. When we spend money we are more likely to spend it here and are less tied down by money to complete the projects we need done. We now look to our neighbors in Ypsilanti to meet our needs instead of going to the phone book for an impersonal transaction. We also feel a stronger sense of belonging in Ypsilanti after meeting some of our neighbors through hEY, people we can rely on in our time of need. This will increase funding for public services and other vital needs of the city. As land value increases so does the tax revenue for the city. Home values will rise and attract new buyers. For example: those who cannot afford to pay for a lawn service will have the ability to trade their time for it. As it prospers, the city becomes more attractive for new local business and new residents. ![]() Members have a vested interest in the city and are active participants in its revitalization. ![]() Time banking encourages members of the local area to participate in activities that better themselves and their neighborhood. What led to this inequality? How can people get what they need even if they have fallen on hard times? Our mission is to play a part in the revitalization of our community by exploring time as an alternative currency. Ypsilanti has suffered economically and there is inequality amongst its residents. The health of Ypsilanti depends on the strength of our economy and the well-being of our people. Jeff Yoder and hOur Exchange Ypsilanti memberAdrienne Clark offer up their views on what time banks can do for the community and the economy. Services that are currently traded include: laundry, house cleaning, language classes, music lessons, home repair, computer repair, gardening, transportation, massage, mental health services, permaculture design, pet care, photography services, cooking lessons, and snow removal. The organization currently has about 100 members and has exchanged over 1,200 hours. Members spend time credits for services they receive and earn time credits for services they provide. It is a community organization that was built on the principles of community involvement and growth through providing services for one another using time as currency. HOur Exchange Ypsilanti (hEY) is a time bank that was founded in April 2013 by members of the Ypsilanti community: Monica King, Jen Whaley, Heather Wysor and Jeff Yoder.
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