My Missions

Dwight's Missions

These are volunteer missions that I’m very passionate about. Get on board and help me change lives.

"Before You Drink, Think Dwight"

After a two year interval filled with countless surgeries, medical setbacks, and a grueling rehabilitation regimen, I was restored to sound health and looking to make a contribution to the world as a promise I made to God. I was approached by several churches, school groups, and rehab organizations and asked to tell my story. Through a partnership with Chinika Hughes, we developed a speaking tour called “Before You Drink, Think Dwight.” Word seemed to spread, and I was soon speaking publicly three times or more a week. In all, I have given some 120 presentations and shared my story with over 40,000 people. The tour has taken me to schools, correctional facilities, rehab groups, courts, universities, and much more. Some groups were as small as ten people and others were as large as a thousand. As a result of this tour, I have since received numerous awards, including local, state, and national awards. I was the national recipient of the 2010 “Spirit of Service” award provided by the Corporation for National and Community Service and a recipient of the “Cabot Celebrity” award provided by Cabot Creamery.

I will continue to use my testimony during my upcoming "Still Standing With Dwight" tour to help inform the public and offer a real life example of the dangers of irresponsible drinking, and I will continue to speak against all drugs and alcohol.

*"Before You Drink, Think Dwight"

Or Send to:

Dwight Owens
RE: BYDTD
P.O. Box 114
Taylorsville, MS 39168

"Still Standing"
A Mission of Hope, Independence, and Inspiration

“Still Standing” is more than the title of my book, it’s my passion. It is also the name of my new public speaking tour. I started this tour late in 2011 to extend the message of hope, vitality,

and independence that I began years earlier with the “Before You Drink, Think Dwight” tour.

For a couple of years , I worked with Project LINC, (Linking Individuals into Neighborhoods and Communities), a branch of Americorps. Along the trail, I helped transition hundreds of people with disabilities from institutions into a home of their own. I conducted several hundred site surveys for ADA compliance, and above all, I mentored newly disabled people and their families throughout Mississippi as they learned to cope with their tragically changed circumstances. I woke up every day eager to face the next challenge, and I was inspired to see my friends with disabilities learn to live independent, self reliant lives. I learned more than I taught, and I felt a sense of awe as day by day, month by month, people who had given up hope found the strength and courage to take control of their lives. The message is simply this. People with disabilities are people first. We are not defined by our disabilities. We are defined by our strength of character, by our courage and willingness to adapt to our new circumstances, by the positive energy we bring to the world, and by our capacity to touch lives and earn our way in the world.

Through “Still Standing With Dwight,” I am now extending this message beyond Mississippi. The message of turning tragedy into triumph, pressing on no matter the challenge, finding joy in life, and building a future with hope and bright prospects. The message touches all lives, not just the disabled community. But my story is not a sermon, it’s an illustration. It is a story filled with laughter, setbacks, and achievements, and at the end of the day, it’s a story of how one person can make a difference. We all need these stories to enrich and inspire us. It’s the human condition. I hope you will stand with me on this journey of love, inspiration, and ultimate triumph.

*"Still Standing"

Or Send to:

Dwight Owens
RE: Still Standing
P.O. Box 114
Taylorsville, MS 39168

Read More About My Work and My Missions Through the Following Links:

I have been honored, though still humble, to receive such great recognition through my works of service. Feel free to read each article below to learn more about my journey and achievements. Simply Click on each article to read them.

1. ACTION Magazine article

2. Chinika.com Online News Magazine article #1

3. Chinink.com Online News Magazine article #2

4. 50GIVE article (With Humanitarian Keith Donohue)

5. Michigan Community Service Commission article

6. Corporation For National & Community Service Press Release

7. L.I.F.E. (Living Independence For Everyone) of Mississippi acknowledgement

8. The University of Southern Mississippi article

9. SILive.com Acknowledgement (Dwight visits Staten Island, New York)

10. WDAM Still Standing With Dwight story (with video)

11. USM Alumni Still Standing story

12. United Spinal Association short story

13. Methodist Rehabilitation Center (MRC) article

14. Jones County WDAM short article