One of the most rewarding aspects of my profile interviews is discovering the wonderful people who are your “next door neighbors.”  If you look and observe carefully you also will discover the talents and strengths of someone you thought invisible at first encounter.  Most of us don’t look long enough to appreciate the inner wealth of someone unless we make the special effort to go beyond the initial cordialities.  Beth is one example of the rewarding experience of getting beyond the “invisible.”

Beth reveals she is quite joyful when she thinks about her personal “communion” with God three years ago.  After thoughtful meditation and assessment of her values and principles in life, she expressed her complete trust and reliance in God’s love and guidance.   This is manifested each day in her life with her family, friends and work, the Hour Dollars program.

Beth lived in the parsonage of the Mounds Park United Methodist Church when she first moved to Dayton’s Bluff six years ago.  The pastor and the congregation there have always been a source of friendship and assistance and Beth values their generosity and kindness.   Her favorite quote is from Amelia Earhardt.  “Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace.”  Beth and her husband John were married in 1998.  They have two beautiful children, Maddie, 8 and Michael, 12.  Her eyes light up as she talks about her daughter. Maddie is the “most interesting person I have ever met.”  “Seeing the world through the eyes of an eight year old is a very enlightening experience.” 

Beth, a 1981 graduate from Anoka, is now taking classes at Metro State in grant writing and History Movements. She will graduate in August with a degree in Community Studies.  She has been active in the Early Childhood Program and has lobbied for a per child funding increase in the past.  Since its enactment in 1976, Early Childhood has been the most successful program coming out of the Children, Families and Learning Department.  She has attended 14 weeks of hands on classes in lobbying.  Being in the chambers of the Minnesota Legislative body was exhilarating and working alongside legislators like Sandy Pappas enhanced her “sometime dream” of being a public servant in the political arena. Beth pursues many activities related to children.   She is currently a Brownie leader and a Sunday School teacher for 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders.

Beth and her friend Sue Stapleton began Hour Dollars in January 1998. The original idea came from Edward Cahn’s book “Time Dollars.  Hour Dollars has become an overwhelming success in the Dayton’s Bluff/East Side area.  It is based on the concept of bartering for skills and services.  This works quite well in our community because of its diversity. Their first public orientation meeting was held in July 1998. They celebrated their first anniversary last July.  The Board, which consists of 11 members, holds monthly meetings.  They are responsible for setting policies and procedures, listening to grievances and concerns and producing the forms necessary for the operation of the program. Today, a database of 250 services is offered.  Bi-monthly orientation groups are held.  There are about 150 people now in the program with additional members anticipated upon completion of the upcoming merger with the Summit University Barter Program. 

The Hour Dollars program works like this: You may be a senior who needs help with lawn care in the summer or snow removal in the winter.  You are matched with someone that you can provide a service for that they need, such as taking care of a small child or doing some needlework.  It all totals up to a win-win situation for everyone and perhaps the beginning of a rewarding new friendship. 

Because of the flexibility of schedules and time availability, Hour Dollars is welcomed enthusiastically by professionals, artists, trades people, homemakers, mothers, retired individuals and anyone who feels they would like to make a difference in someone’s life and at the same time instill a sense of caring in the community.  This program is unique in the sense that “it levels the playing field without knocking anyone down” from professionals to working class people. Because there is no exchange of money, this program is especially suited for those who are in genuine need of services but do not have the financial means.  Everyone is entitled to 3 free hours when they join the program. 

There are 4 local Hour Dollar sites: Minneapolis, Oakdale, the West Side, as well as here on the East Side.  The Minneapolis site is the largest.   A new site in Duluth called the East Side Patch is blossoming. They learned about the program from a column that Don Boxmeyer wrote about Hour Dollars in the St. Paul Pioneer Press.   Beth and Sue were delighted when 3 women from Duluth came to visit and learn how to start their own program. Beth is also working with other Hour Dollars’ leaders on a “how to” package to teach other neighborhoods how to begin service-exchange programs. 

If you have a service or talent that you would like to share with someone and in return are in need of a particular service, Hour Dollars is the answer.  Beth will do the “walking” for you and you will receive the added bonus of meeting someone who is very friendly and efficient to work with.