The Silver Spring Timebank hosted its 4th annual Skill Share event on Sunday, Jan. 19 at the Silver Spring Civic Building on Veterans Plaza.

The event ran from 1–3 p.m. and attracted a crowd of curious individuals looking to learn something new for 2020.

The Skill Share, which is free and open to the public, is an opportunity for Timebank members to share their interests, expertise and passions with the community.

This year, it was held in the Civic Building’s Great Room, with half of the room offering 15-minute presentations by different speakers, and the other half of the room offering different Ask the Experts tables. As one attendee commented, “There’s something intrinsically interesting about the variety of themes presented at this event.”

Individuals moved from table to table learning about budget-friendly ways to redecorate, traveling in the developing world, making smart decisions about money matters, building mindfulness through gardening and more. Especially popular tables were ones that offered aura readings and tips on buying your next car.

One Timebank member offered a hands-on activity for SoulCollage®, which was described by an attendee as “almost like making your own tarot deck. It’s a fascinating project!”

Timebank member Beth Gingold was on hand to answer questions about recycling. If there was a question she couldn’t answer, she promised to find the answer and get back to the person with the question. Her goal was to make sure people know what and how to recycle with the goal to get closer to zero waste.

Other presenters shared their expertise on yoga for healthy aging, making a living working remotely, raising your credit score, creating YouTube tribute videos and even reducing your cat’s carbon footprint.

One pleased attendee said that she “met a lot of really accomplished— and generous—people” at the event. Another person described the Skill Share as “what community is all about.”

Members of the Silver Spring Timebank exchange services without exchanging money. As members connect with other members to get the services they need, those connections build a sense of community, which is an extra bonus of time banking.

The Silver Spring Timebank’s annual Skill Share is an opportunity to share that sense of community with others. For more information about time banking and how to join the Silver Spring Timebank, go to www.silverspringtimebank.org .

Guest post by Timebank member Mary Murphy. Top photo by Kathy Jentz, Debbie Helfeld demonstrated yoga for healthy aging and strong bones. Below, Beth Gingold shared tips on recycling. Photo by Mary Murphy.