In addition to the city of Salzburg, the model has so far been available in the communities around Lake Wallersee (Flachgau). Now we are also expanding towards the inner mountains, because more and more inquiries are coming from there.

In the “Zeit Polster” association, around a hundred volunteers in Salzburg have been working on their own time cushion, says Susanne Lidauer, regional coordinator in Flachgau. It’s about help in everyday life and small jobs for others, but also about taking care of yourself – in an increasingly anonymous world, where traditional neighborhood help is becoming weaker and weaker.

The spokeswoman gives as examples shopping for the bedridden and the sick, other errands or private messenger services for people in the country who don’t have a car – also as help for disabled people.

Founding of new local offices in other districts

More and more interested parties are now coming from Tennengau, Pongau, Pinzgau and Lungau. There, too, help will be given to the establishment of new local offices for the association of time cushions, says spokeswoman Lidauer: “Anyone who takes part can then save the time that is given to others on their own time account. You can then redeem them at a later point in time and get help yourself.”

You can escape the anonymity of the neighborhood through the association Zeit Polster: “There are people who are not doing as well as I am. I then share part of my time with them. This voluntary help strengthens the common good and the neighborhood in communities. You get to know each other, you can empathize better with others.”

Role models have existed overseas for a long time

Similar neighborhood aids have existed in the USA and Canada for a long time. Did the team from Zeit Polster get some ideas here? Liedauer confirms the view overseas: “The founder of Zeit Polster is Gernot Jochum-Müller. And he dealt with international models – including time bank models in Japan. And based on the experiences he had there, he founded the club here with us.”

The Zeit Polster concept originally came from Switzerland and Vorarlberg. In addition, there have been branches and community groups in Salzburg, Styria, Lower Austria and Vienna.

E-mail contact

for those interested in the state of Salzburg: [email protected] Polster.com