LEWISTON – A Twin Cities effort to share and trade services and skills has expanded to include new immigrants and refugees.

Catholic Charities Refugee and Immigration Services has joined the Lewiston-Auburn Time Dollar Bank managed by THRIVE, a group that helps children and their families deal with mental illness and trauma.

The Time Dollar Bank acts as a clearing house for services. People in the community do jobs free of charge. The bank tracks the time they spend, letting them cash it in on services provided by other members.

Linda Golding, social marketing coordinator for THRIVE, said the bank lists 35 people from the community in its network. They provide services ranging from baby-sitting to house cleaning and cooking.

“The way we view this, it expands the natural support children need,” she said. “It’s a fitting extension of our service priorities and provides alternative resources for families to get the services they need.”

Including refugees and recent immigrants has added five more people to the network, she said.

“And we’re expanding more every day,” she said.

Inza Ouattara, a recent immigrant from West Africa, is the bank’s liaison with Catholic Charities. It will help new arrivals fit into the community, he said.