New Member Gatherings

Next Orientation for new members = 4pm Sunday, Feb. 12th
(& Membership Potluck =5pm!)

@ Soma Vida, 1210 Rosewood Ave. 78702

Our last new member gathering, at Peaceful Village Acupuncture, went fantastically.  So many interesting people ready to build community through trading services!  The Creating Commerce Circle afterward was a chance for folks to talk a little more in-depth about what they are involved with, what they are passionate about, and how they spend their time.  Thao Photography was also there, and she captured these photos:

Time Exchange at work in a labyrinth

A couple of our members got together to help clear and prepare a labyrinth for the upcoming East Austin Studio Tours. Take a look at their work at Synaesthetic Breakfast.

Open Invitation to our Harvest Soiree

You’re invited to our harvest potluck, orientation and information session on November 8th (more details below)

The Austin Time Exchange Network (ATEN) is one of the many Time Banks in the United States and around the world which allows local communities to exchanges services without depending on cash for absolutely everything.  This has become more important as people find themselves with less cash, strained employment and crunched credit.

Boasting almost 300 members, the Austin Time Exchange is approaching four years of exchanges between members of the Austin community and surrounding cities. 

ATEN

The Austin Time Exchange Network (ATEN) is a local program that enables individuals to provide and receive skills and services within a network of people and organizations in Greater Austin. Similar to concepts expressed in bartering and alternative currency systems, this grassroots initiative lets members exchange labor and assistance without using the U.S. Dollar. Launched in April of 2006, ATEN currently has over 300 members and invites new participants to join by attending any of our upcoming introduction meetings.

ATEN values equality and compensates each of its members uniformly for the time and work they provide to others in the network. When an individual completes an hour of service for another member, they earn one Exchange Share, the unit of credit used within the network. All hours of service provided by members of ATEN are considered to be of equal value regardless of the type of skill offered in the exchange. The Exchange Share earned can be spent on receiving an hour of service from any other member of the network.

The Austin Time Exchange serves a significant purpose for Austin on several levels and in many areas of life. It is a common-sense, practical, and useful system that not only theorizes about the way communities should interact, but puts in place the methods and tools to make it happen. It provides an alternative means for its members to meet their everyday needs through promoting a complementary, local economic system. ATEN also creates a web of interaction and support that includes people from different areas and diverse backgrounds in its membership. The Austin Time Exchange has the promise to promote social change and encourage economic self-sufficiency through rebuilding a sense of community and opportunity in Greater Austin.

To learn more or become involved in the Austin Time Exchange, please attend an informational meeting.