Phoenixville, Pennsylvania

Phoenixville Area Time Bank

Problem

Lack of cash, jobs, or formal credentials leaves many residents idle or isolated—even when they have skills and a willingness to help.

Solution

The Phoenixville Area Time Bank is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) timebank founded in 2004 as the Valley Forge Time Bank by seven organizers and a part-time paid coordinator after hearing TimeBanks USA founder Edgar Cahn speak. Members trade hour-for-hour services with each other and volunteer in teams for partner nonprofits (Orion Communities, Ann's Heart, Parkhouse nursing home, Days for Girls, Good Samaritan Services); it runs a quarterly Repair Cafe and an annual Pasta Party fundraiser. Reported membership varies widely by source and year: about 170 (2010), about 750 (2018), 160 (2019), 133 on the hOurworld platform (2026), with the most recent recorded exchange in October 2026.

Patterns used: Social Timebank

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