BRATTLEBORO — Signs of spring are beginning to appear, and I thought this would be a fitting time to send out a heartfelt thank you to each of the foundations and individuals who have helped make the dream of building a network of folks into the thriving Time Trade (T2) community we've become.
We now have 254 active applications and 203 folks already making exchanges. In the last 30 days, 468 hours have been exchanged, which include supporting one another through household chores, home repair, garden work, a full spectrum of wellness treatments, bringing food to monthly community gatherings, business consultations, graphic design, computer tutorials, offering rides, help moving, and home energy audits.
We especially want to thank Brattleboro Savings & Loan for the use of its Community Room. Our most recent pot luck had more than 50 folks bringing food, sharing laughter, and making connections: building community by learning how we can best help one another!
Research shows that when people feel more support in their personal lives, they also become more engaged in civic pursuits. T2 members are working on developing a car- sharing program in Brattleboro and have helped our fiscal agent, Post Oil Solutions, keep the Winter Farmer's Market running smoothly. Members have provided support to Meals on Wheels and other Senior Center programs. We've also developed a social justice advisory team to make sure our group is inclusive.
The Time Trade's mission of matching unmet needs with untapped resources within our own communities means we assess the skills available within our membership to find ways to generate necessary operating expenses. More than 50 members contributed to our successful winter raffle, either by contributing a prize or selling tickets.
We are partnered with the Senior Center in a fun communitybuilding project, creating gift bags from clothes that have been discarded from a local thrift shop, and we have already had a local store offer to purchase the bags. We are currently investigating the possibility of designing and marketing a Buy Local guide.
With economic recovery slow to take hold, a growing number of the aged in Vermont, and mounting evidence of the importance of local business, the Time Trade offers a way to work creatively in order to enable the residents of Windham County assist one another and help their community thrive.