Five years ago, Dwight Owens, Taylorsville, MS, was cruising down the road to success. He was a teacher and a football coach and was only 23 years old. Dwight's plans came to a screeching halt on Friday, August 5, 2005, on Highway 84 in Collins, Mississippi, when he was hit by a drunk driver. After going into cardiac arrest as a result of suffering several life-threatening injuries, he was on life support for 48 hours. When Dwight woke up, he was permanently paralyzed and expected to die. Dwight did not die.

 

Instead he fought through months of rehabilitation and gained back basic functions and independence. Then, Dwight dedicated the life he had almost lost to serving others. He currently serves with LIFE/Project LINC (Linking Individuals Into Neighborhoods and Communities) AmeriCorps. As an AmeriCorps member, Dwight provides peer support to over 1,200 individuals with disabilities. He also helps individuals transition from public institutions to their own homes, and started a “Men with Disabilities” support group encouraging independence and leadership. As a result of Dwight's AmeriCorps service, many Mississippians with disabilities are active, productive members of their community.

In honor of his service and dedication to serving others, Dwight received the 2010 Spirit of Service Award from the Corporation for National and Community Service.