When Mishelle Greel injured her knee, she worried how Caspian, her boxer-mix dog, would get exercise during her recovery.
She went to the Cape Ann Time Bank to withdraw dollars so she could have someone take Caspian for a stroll. James Peck of Rockport earned his "time dollars" by taking on the task.
Cheryl Davis, a longtime resident of Cape Ann, never dreamed she would kayak.
When she went "to the bank" one day, she found a member offering kayaking off Wingaersheek Beach.
Kirstin Myers, a working mother of two, just wanted a cooked meal for her family. One member needed a ride to the airport. Another member took pottery lessons.
These are just a few examples of the kinds of services that residents are taking advantage of through the Cape Ann Time Bank, a grass-roots organization that continues to grow.
The group's next monthly potluck takes place tomorrow, when those interested are welcome to attend and learn more about the group.
Meetings to discuss forming such a "time bank" — a model that is being used around the world — began locally two years ago. The Cape Ann Time Bank is affiliated with Time Banks USA. Last November, a couple of members attended an international conference in Madison, Wis.
The idea is to make use of the local economy, local resources and equalizing the "buying" power of everyone's time.
"It's part of a movement taking place around the globe, but it's all about local economy," said Mark McDonough, who spearheaded the effort here. "It's all about connections."
"It's why I joined," said Loretta Peres of Gloucester. "It's all about community, bringing back the old-fashioned times of neighbors looking out for neighbors and also getting something back."
A member does not need hours in the bank in order to use the time bank. Some members have negative hours, but in order for people to earn dollars, there has to be needs to fill for others.
"It won't work unless people ask for services," said McDonough, also known for his part in operating three popular Cape Ann restaurants.
Time dollars are a community "currency" in which an hour of time spent helping someone else earns a participant his or her own time dollars, which can in turn be used for an hour of assistance from someone else.
Myers, who started a Web-based global networking company, said the concept appealed to her because everyone is equal.
"A cleaning woman's hour is worth the same as a lawyer's hour," she said. "We're all equal in the time bank. It's a very inclusive organization."
Nancy Goodman, one of the original members, said it's not about people who have exotic or special skills.
Members can give rides, make a meal, baby-sit, read to someone or simply chat over a cup of coffee.
Some may cut hair, provide editing skills or tax preparation services. Others may water plants, garden, or offer massage.
"People don't necessarily offer what they do, but they may offer what they like to do. It's not supposed to be like work," member Trish Roach said. "There are lots of unexpected surprises from the exchange."
McDonough, a family therapist in an earlier career, said what he found in his work was that people most needed a sense of community.
"Yankees don't like to ask for help," he said. "But this was a solution to a problem I'd long known about."
He had worked nationally with the time bank organization, and brought it to Cape Ann.
"This whole idea of (time bank) currency is to balance out the inequity of the federal currency, which gives an advantage to those with capital. But with the time bank, everyone's dollars are the same," he said.
In its fledgling state, the Cape Ann Time Bank needed 60 members to make a start. That happened within six months in the fall of 2006. That number since has doubled, reaching a total of 128 members.
"I always wished money didn't exist and dreamed of a world with an old-fashioned bartering system in which we all share amongst each other, and this is exactly what the time bank does," Davis said. "It's a thrill to see what can happen."
The organization can be helpful to anyone, ranging from someone new to the area to an elderly person living alone.
"The Cape Ann Time Bank is all about making connections and building community," Peres said.
Drew Godwin, a member who has been looking for gardens to tend, said being part of the organization has enriched his life.
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Gail McCarthy can be reached at gmccarthy@gloucestertimes.com.
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Learning to share time
What: Monthly potluck of the Cape Ann Time Bank, open to all residents of Cape Ann.
When: Tomorrow, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Where: 25 Raymond St. in Manchester
For more information: visit www.capeanntimebanks.org or Cheryl Davis at 413-454-4682.
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