LAKEPORT, Calif. – Time banking is a refreshing way for businesses and individuals to share the resource of time, and it’s coming to Lakeport at the Lakeworks Community Space, 307 N. Main St., in February.

Time banking allows businesses and individuals to literally bank hours for future needs and has been well proven in other communities as a legitimate, tax-free and community-building experience.

How does time banking work? For example, let’s say an individual currently has an hour a day to walk dogs. This hour for each day of dog walking can be banked in the time bank for a future service, let's say, to have their back yard cleared up in the spring.

Best of all, this process is 100 percent legitimate and completely tax-free. Time banking can also be used by businesses in the same manner.

Thrive Lake County and the Time Bank of Lake County (a project of Thrive Lake County) will be holding a grand opening on Tuesday, Feb. 26, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. where the process can be explained.

Furthermore, there will be live music, food and local wines as well with the official ribbon cutting happening at 6 p.m.

There will be an ongoing interactive game where participants can win hours in the time bank to use as they see fit. This is the ideal opportunity to find out how Lake County residents, businesses, and community organizations can build community together and gain access to needed resources through time banking.

“One of our time bank members told me about a dump run she needed,” explains Carol Cole-Lewis, coordinator of Thrive Lake County. “She was able to locate someone who would do this for her on the Time Bank. The time bankers who were moving the trash was not put out, because the dump was in the same direction they were going to meet with an accountant they had found on the time bank. And, while these dump haulers were at this accountant, they did a bit of weeding for the accountant – the weed pulling was done simply as a gesture of kindness and helpfulness as no weed-pulling hours were exchanged. Everybody wins!”

Experience a proven way for businesses to save money build community through the alternative currency of time banking – a huge success story in other communities.

For more information, visit the Thrive Lake County Web site at http://thrivelakecounty.org or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .