CTC™ Time Banking
A Time Banking App for Caregiving and Community Support
CTC™ tracks the time you give — to elders, children and neighbors — so every hour is recorded and recognized.
Some of the most valuable help in any community is time: sitting with an elderly neighbor, picking up a friend's kids from school, running errands for someone recovering at home. BorrowBuddy's CTC™ brings time banking to caregiving and community support — every session is timed and tracked, so the hours people give are recorded, visible and fairly recognized.
CTC™ is about tracked time and trust. It is not a medical service, and BorrowBuddy does not provide licensed or clinical care.
The problem: care that goes unseen
In many families and faith communities, caregiving falls on the same few people. An auntie sits with an elderly parent several afternoons a week. A neighbor walks the children home every Tuesday. It's done out of love, but it's rarely recorded — and over time, the people giving the most can feel invisible or stretched thin.
For families who live far from relatives, finding trusted, everyday companionship for a parent or a few hours of help with the kids is even harder.
Time banking is a long-standing idea: one hour of help is recorded as one hour, and that record is valued. Our explainer on what time banking is and how communities use it for caregiving covers the background.
How a time banking app for caregiving works with CTC™
- 01
Offer or request time
Post the help you can give — companionship, errands, school pickups — or request it for someone you care about.
- 02
Match with a verified member
Connect with ID-verified members nearby and agree on the time, place and what's involved.
- 03
Start the CTC™ session
The session timer runs while help is given, so the hours are recorded accurately for both sides.
- 04
Confirm and recognize
Both people confirm the session. The tracked time is recorded and adds to the giver's trust score.
How BorrowBuddy keeps time-based support safe
ID-verified members
Everyone offering or requesting time has verified their identity.
Tracked sessions
Start and end times are recorded in the app, creating a clear history of every session.
Trust scores and reviews
Families can see how others have rated a member's reliability before agreeing to a session.
Protected payments
Where a session is paid, payment is handled in-app and released once both sides confirm.
Learn how protected payments work, or browse the Care & Support category in the services directory.
Who CTC™ is for
CTC™ is for families, friends and community members who give and receive everyday support. It suits adult children arranging companionship for a parent, parents sharing school runs, church members organizing visits, and neighbors who want their time to count.
Many families also use it to stay fair to one another. When one sibling lives close to an aging parent and others live in different states, the tracked hours make it easier to see who is carrying the most and to arrange extra help where it's needed.
It also fits the rest of BorrowBuddy: the same verified profile lets you borrow items from neighbors, join your diaspora community circle, and organize community events — with one trust score across everything you do.
Example uses
Companionship for elders
Arrange regular afternoon visits, a walk or help with a video call to relatives abroad.
School pickups and childcare help
Share pickups and short after-school cover with families you trust.
Errands and appointments
Help with grocery runs, pharmacy pickups or accompanying someone to an appointment.
Community volunteering
Record hours given to church, mosque or association events so contributions are visible.
Getting started with CTC™ in your circle
You don't need a formal program to start. Many caregiving circles begin with a handful of families who already help each other:
- Invite the people who already show up — relatives, church members, neighbors.
- Agree on what's included — companionship, errands, school pickups — and what isn't, such as anything medical.
- Start small. A first visit together, or a short session, helps everyone get comfortable.
- Track every session in the app so contributions are visible and the load is shared fairly.
- Recognize the givers. Thank the people with the most hours; it keeps everyone motivated.
As your circle grows, CTC™ keeps the record so no one has to manage a spreadsheet.
Frequently asked questions
What is a time banking app for caregiving?
It's an app that records the time people spend helping others — such as companionship, errands or childcare support — so those hours are tracked and recognized. On BorrowBuddy, that's what CTC™ does.
What does CTC™ stand for on BorrowBuddy?
CTC™ is BorrowBuddy's system for tracked time in care and community support. Every session is timed and confirmed by both people so the time given is recorded fairly.
Does BorrowBuddy provide medical or nursing care?
No. CTC™ is for everyday companionship and community support. BorrowBuddy does not provide medical, nursing or other licensed care, and members should use licensed professionals for those needs.
Are caregivers on BorrowBuddy background-checked?
Members verify their identity, and trust scores and reviews show their history on the platform. Families should still meet members and use their own judgment, especially for vulnerable relatives.
How is CTC™ different from regular volunteering?
Volunteering is often informal and unrecorded. With CTC™, each session is timed and confirmed by both people, so the hours are recorded and add to the helper's trust score.
Can CTC™ sessions be paid?
Some sessions are given freely and some are paid. Where a session is paid, the payment is handled in-app and released once both sides confirm.