Project Porchlight Blog

Project Porchlight’s Eastampton Blitz on June 25 in Eastampton, New Jersey, took place on a particularly hot day. But the steamy weather was no deterrent for a small but dedicated group of volunteers, which included local Boy Scouts, Environmental Commissioners, and Eastampton’s mayor. After a brief training session with Project Porchlight, they fanned out throughout township, educating their community about the energy savings offered by compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs as well as the energy efficiency programs that are available through New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program (NJCEP).

A total of 808 CFL bulbs were distributed at the event, part of Project Porchlight New Jersey’s campaign to distribute energy-efficient light bulbs to residents across the state. Project Porchlight is an initiative of One Change, and the campaign is made possible thanks to funding by the state Board of Public Utilities (BPU) and NJCEP.

For Eastampton Environmental Commissioner Wendy Ford, organizer of the Blitz, the day was extremely rewarding. “Project Porchlight is amazing,” she says. “It really is a great, great program. I hope they will continue to do more of these.”

Wendy knows that when it comes to protecting our environment, simple actions matter. Even something as simple as changing a light bulb can really make a difference. “I don’t think that people realize the impact that CFL bulbs can have,” says Wendy. “When you go out and talk to people and tell them that if we all just change one light bulb in our houses, that’s like taking 800,00 cars off the road, they are amazed. So then they might start thinking—‘Just think of the impact I could make if I recycled. Or, just think if I changed all the light bulbs in my house.’”

By connecting with state residents one at a time, Project Porchlight empowers people to make smart choices that protect the environment. “I think education is the key to making our planet a greener place to live,” says Wendy. “I myself, being an Environmental Commissioner, learned a lot from Project Porchlight. I didn’t know very much about CFL bulbs. I didn’t realize how much energy they save. I didn’t realize the positive impact they can have on the environment.”