Uptown TimeBank uses barter system to assist the mentally ill, elderly

By B.J. Coleman

Times change. Terms change. Manic depression is now called bipolar disorder, the result of diagnostic research to create a more accurate term.

The psychological condition is characterized by wild swings between high energy, euphoria and self-confidence at one “pole” versus near incapacity to act, depressed mood and self-deprecation at the other “pole.”

With such whipsawed emotional states, is it any wonder that about half of those diagnosed as bipolar attempt suicide? Fortunately, not all succeed. And now, increasing efforts in Uptown are geared toward making the current suicide rate of 20 percent among bipolar sufferers diminish, ideally until bipolar suicide vanishes completely from the community.

Kerry Martin moved to University Heights in 2013 after living with her parents for a time in order to survive a major depressive episode caused by her bipolar disorder.

The condition is no respecter of persons. Martin is a highly accomplished business and marketing professional with a Harvard degree, yet she nearly hit bottom without a bounce back. She had support from her parents, who reside in nearby Orange County, and her large family of five siblings. Martin fears for those without strong familial and social connections to fall back on, the forgotten ones she calls “untethered.”

Now recovered from that extreme low with the support of her partner, she is initiating a neighbor-to-neighbor community effort to empower individuals perceived as marginalized or disconnected — such as bipolar people — to help themselves. In early October, Martin announced creation of the Hope Xchange Uptown TimeBank, in conjunction with the Bipolar Parenting Foundation and an online crowd-funding campaign, to raise awareness and funds for this mental-wellness initiative in San Diego’s Uptown communities.

Why Uptown? Martin explains that this area in the greater San Diego urban region is “friendly, open and receptive.” She also notes that the area is home to a population of varied individuals who can mutually participate and benefit from her efforts. The persons she envisions empowering are vulnerable and socially isolated by age, disability or mental illness. Moreover, Martin points to Uptown’s numerous non-profit organizations that work to improve the lives of the mentally ill.

A “time bank”? In an era of limited money and few jobs, exchanging volunteer work hours directly from person to person instead of mediated through financial exchanges, which may distort personal contributor value, is revolutionary and egalitarian in comparison.

The hour-for-hour swap through time banking means that everyone’s time is equal, and each individual is treated as an equal to every other. One hour’s work “paid” into the time bank yields a one-hour time credit that may be claimed and “spent” from another volunteer worker participating in the collaboration. A severely impoverished person can join without expending scarce cash. This works for the person who has nothing but time.

The model for time banking was pioneered by Edgar S. Cahn, who saw the potential for time as a medium of exchange capable of bypassing economic valuations harmful to distressed populations. Martin cites studies indicating that the people benefitting most from time banks are elderly, mentally ill or disabled. Furthermore, the greatest levels of participation in time banking come from military veterans and seniors. Overall, participants typically put in more volunteer hours to the bank than they consume. The result: Time-bank participants experience better physical and mental well-being, and they become more employable in the process.

Kerry Martin believes that the Hope Xchange Uptown TimeBank will make it possible to rebuild the community from the ground up, one person at a time, one hour at a time, to “reweave community ties binding neighbors to neighbors.”

Martin envisions a re-creation of the caring, small-town networks of bygone days, in which neighbors naturally intervened when anything seemed amiss with another member of the community. She understands that overcoming “trust issues” will be one hurdle, which is why the project will include a physical presence to humanize and demystify the online presence, and begin the person-to-person reconnection.

“Hope is what makes all the difference, in my mind,” Martin said. “Nothing is so empowering for people who feel diminished as being able to give something of value in exchange for their own needs.”

The technical build for the project will require an estimated $105,000. An early need will be a storefront office to serve as a drop-in center for enrollment in the program and for special events like monthly potluck dinners. Martin has her eye on a “dream house” on 30th Street to welcome possible participants, answering their questions and overcoming any doubts about the safety of exchanges with unknown neighbors.

The Uptown TimeBank is expected to launch in early November. Visit the beta site at hopexchangeuptowntimebank.org. To learn more about the Hope Xchange program, visit hopexchangenonprofit.org. Those interested in donating or corporate sponsorships may visit bit.ly/donateforhope.

—Contact B.J. Coleman at [email protected].