Time Banking
Time banking is a system of exchange where people trade services using their labor-time as a unit of account. At BGS we use "Spinach" to refer to one unit (one hour) of labor-time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Values
The Bergen Green Time Bank is based on the values of reciprocity and the equality of human effort. By valuing everyone's time equally we seek to empower New Yorkers – in particular those marginalized by the traditional economy – to take a stake in a growing pool of collective wealth. 

How it Works
For every hour a person spends helping someone else through our Offers and Needs Market, or volunteering with Bergen Green, they earn one Spinach. Whether receiving or giving your time, you can log an exchange using this form. To log an exchange you'll need:
 

• email addresses of both parties to an exchange

• the last four digits of the phone numbers of both parties of an exchange

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You can view all transactions and balances on our public ledger. Your ID# is the last four digits of your phone number.

 

Easy Ways to Get Spinach
Just for posting an offer on our Offers and Needs Market we'll automatically credit you with 1 Spinach. 

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Anyone who needs Spinach but hasn't been able to offer their labor-time, can withdraw up to 5 Spinach from the Common Fund per month. You can email bergengreenspace@gmail.com to request Spinach from the common fund

Spinach can be used to...

• Access services listed in the Offers and Needs Market

• Access goods and services offered through the Bergen Green Space

• Become a voting member of Bergen Green Space by putting 10 spinach/month into our common fund.

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The Common Fund

People with more Spinach than they need can put Spinach into our Common Fund, a publicly accessible pool of Spinach from which anyone can pull. Any person can take up to 5 Spinach per month from the Common Fund when they need it. People who give (on net) 10 Spinach in a month to the Common Fund are entitled to a vote in Bergen Space's monthly meetings. To deposit or withdraw Spinach from the Common Fund, please email bergengreenspace@gmail.com