Project Porchlight Blog

Hari Neelakantan (pictured here) says he volunteers because he was inspired by what he saw in September 2001. A good friend was hurt during the World Trade Center attack, and Hari was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support that eventually helped him find his friend in the hospital. “So many volunteers came down from different parts of the country,” says Hari. “That’s when I really felt how much a community can do when it comes together. Even though you may not know each other personally, you come together for a bigger cause and you can help a lot of people.”

Since that difficult time, Hari—a software engineer at amazon.com—has done what he can to give back. He volunteers for a number of organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, and regularly donates blood. In his humble opinion, he says, “I haven’t done anything big so far.” But all of his so-called “little” acts add up to make a significant contribution to those around him.

In addition to a strong desire to give back to the community, Hari has a firm commitment to conserving energy and protecting the environment. He moved to America from Chennai, India 10 years ago, and has a unique appreciation for the resources many of us take for granted. “I see resources being wasted a lot,” he says. “Eventually, somebody pays the price. Whether it’s you or the generation that follows you.”

When Hari bought a new house in Bellevue, WA, he visited Project Porchlight partner Puget Sound Energy’s website to find out how he could make his home as green as possible. He saw the Project Porchlight link, read that we were looking for volunteers, and immediately signed up for the October 4 Rock the Bulb campaign event in nearby Kent, WA. To him, our partnership with PSE offered an ideal opportunity to educate people about the complexities of energy production and usage, and how something as simple as changing a light bulb can have significant effects on reducing pollution, waste, and even the economic instability that can lead to war and other international concerns.

Hari was proud to operate the “Which Bulb is Which” booth on October 4, giving people the opportunity to see firsthand how much more energy-efficient compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs are than incandescent light bulbs. He was impressed by how receptive Kent residents were to making the switch, and by how many of them wanted to do whatever they could to help. “(Project Porchlight) renewed my enthusiasm to do more,” says Hari. “People came (to Rock the Bulb) to take advantage of the event, and they ended up asking how they could volunteer… I got a positive feeling about the future of the country.”

It’s Hari’s hope that by volunteering for Project Porchlight he’ll inspire others to follow his example. Clearly, that’s already started to happen. As Hari continues to give back to the community in his “little” ways, it’s obvious he’s having a big impact on the world around him. Simple actions matter.

Washington state’s oldest local energy utility, Puget Sound Energy serves more than 1 million electric customers and nearly 750,000 natural gas customers in 11 counties. A subsidiary of Puget Energy, PSE meets the energy needs of its growing customer base through incremental, cost-effective energy conservation, procurement of sustainable energy resources, and far-sighted investment in the energy-delivery infrastructure. PSE employees are dedicated to providing great customer service and delivering energy that is safe, reliable, reasonably priced, and environmentally responsible. For more information, visit www.PSE.com.