Project Porchlight Blog

Thunderstorms were predicted for July 18, but the weather predictions couldn’t have been more wrong, and the volunteers who turned out for Project Porchlight’s Mount Ephraim Blitz enjoyed bright, clear skies. Another wonderful aspect of the day was the number of families who joined the effort, including Mayor Joe Wolk (pictured here) and his daughter and son-in-law.

“The day went very well,” says Mayor Wolk. “The Project Porchlight staff was super, and I think the whole campaign is awesome.”

A total of 700 energy-saving compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs were distributed, part of Project Porchlight New Jersey’s campaign to distribute free 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 New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program (NJCEP).

Mayor Wolk says he was delighted when he first learned about Project Porchlight. “I got a letter about it,” he recalls. “When I found out that Project Porchlight is giving out free light bulbs to help us all move forward in the greening of America, I said, ‘Let’s take a look at this."

What Mayor Wolk likes about Project Porchlight is the way we help people make simple changes in their life. “Personally, I’m 61, so I know that buying habits are hard to break,” he says. “I just started using those CFL bulbs myself. In my thinking, we should do anything that we can to promote this. This is a perfect opportunity given that our population has a lot of seniors.”

Borough Clerk Terry Shannon, who was instrumental in setting up the Mount Ephraim Blitz, has previous experience with Project Porchlight. She also helped with our Barrington Blitz in June. (She works as a municipal clerk for both towns through a shared service agreement.). “Project Porchlight is a great campaign,” she says. “When you distribute the bulbs, very often you meet somebody who is unfamiliar with them. So you’re helping to educate the public, and it’s better for the environment as well as saving them money.”

When it comes to protecting our environment, simple actions matter. Even something as simple as changing a light bulb can have a huge impact. “I have switched entirely to CFL bulbs,” says Terry. “I am very diligent about recycling. I’m a pain in the neck with both my husband and my son about it--I don’t let them get away with anything.

“Otherwise, I just try in any way that I can,” she says. “I actually stopped using different online merchants because they ship using Styrofoam popcorn. I won’t use any merchant that ships with Styrofoam, and I won’t purchase any Styrofoam products. And very soon I’m going to be installing a rain barrel.”

Terry even keeps a wildlife-friendly backyard. “I won’t let my husband use chemicals in the lawn, and we don’t wash our cars in the driveway. We have quite a bit of wildlife in our backyard,” she says. “I believe so strongly in protecting the environment, protecting our natural resources and leaving a better environment and a cleaner world for our future generations.”