Member Spotlight: Dwight Sowers, a true go-getter in the SSTB

SSTB member Robin Handleman interviewed Dwight for this article. After talking with him, she gave him the title, “Dynamic Doer”. After reading this article, you will agree!

Dwight joined the Silver Spring Timebank in 2019, and he’s also been a member of the Columbia Timebank since 2017. 

Robin: Why did you join the Timebank? 

Dwight: I like the idea of timebanking where people are exchanging time, not money, to get jobs done. It might be learning a new hobby,  getting something fixed, cleaning a car - the list is endless as to the services timebanking provides. We are also creating an environment for people who want to age in place. This is an incredible option for our seniors to have things done so they can stay in their own homes. I also see timebanking as a way to motivate people to get involved in their community. I see timebanking as a win-win: people can offer services and get something done for themselves as well.

Robin: Tell us about an experience you have had in the Timebank. 

Dwight: I am currently copying over 150 VHS tapes to digital for a member. I have helped many people with technology and home repairs. I’ve used the Timebank for piano lessons and I still play piano from time to time. I also got some great gardening tips from SSTB member Alan Black who owns an organic farm in Gaithersburg. He gave me some good information on composting and trellising plants.

In addition I have met a lot of people in my local community through the Timebank that I may not have met otherwise. It has also got me involved in the Repair Café movement in Howard County.

The Timebank connects groups of people who share similar social causes like climate change or alternate economies.

Robin: With your experience in timebanking, how can we expand the Silver Spring Timebank? 

Dwight: I think we can start by bringing more young people as active members in the Timebank. The Timebank’s social events can be a great draw for all age groups. Once they come to an event they will see the benefits of time banking - saving money, networking with each other, and giving back to the community. 

Here’s Dwight hosting the SSTB’s first Virtual Game Night on May 30.

A final thought - I feel there is potential for remote support through the Timebank. This will remove some barriers to doing exchanges with members in other Timebanks (inter-trading) through avenues like video chat and Zoom. For example if a time banker had a plumbing issue, they could video chat with someone in another state or country and show them the issue using a mobile device camera. Then the remote person could give them advice or directions on how to fix the issue. This approach could be used for exchanges in many different scenarios where visually seeing the problem in real-time is important.

On a personal note: Dwight has lived in North Silver Spring (Burtonsville area) with his wife Kerry Jo Richards since 2005. He has worked for 20 years in Systems Engineering and Enterprise IT support and is now a small business owner. Currently he splits his time between his IT consulting/support business and his new personal media business called Mem-Brarians. This service helps people digitally organize their family photos and videos. Go to https://mem-brarians.com/ for more information.

During his free time he enjoys playing video and board games, and he has been getting into gardening. He owns probably a few hundred board and card games! Carcassonne, Small World and Dominion are a few of his favorites. He can be found on Board Game Arena under the name Dwight76.

Many thanks to Robin Handleman for writing this Member Spotlight.