Project Porchlight Blog

Project Porchlight’s Hazlet Blitz on June 19 in Hazlet, New Jersey, was absolutely perfect.

“The day was sunny and bright,” says Rosemary Mazza, Chair of the Hazlet Environmental Commission. “It was perfect weather for taking a nice walk in the morning to meet your neighbors and give out energy-saving light bulbs.”

A happy group of volunteers did exactly that, educating their friends and neighbors 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 grand total of 1,000 CFL bulbs were distributed at the Blitz, 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.

“The Blitz was fantastic,” says Rosemary. “We had people who never had any contact with the Environmental Commission before. They participated in this really great event, and now they have a positive impression of the commission, the township, and Project Porchlight.”

By connecting with state residents one at a time, Project Porchlight empowers people to believe that simple actions matter and to make smart choices that protect the environment. “Project Porchlight is not just about giving out bulbs,” says Rosemary. “There’s a mini-education in environmental awareness there. The people we reached essentially attended a little seminar on environmental impact and how the individual can have an effect.”

When it comes to protecting our environment, simple actions matter. Even something as simple as changing a light bulb is important. “The longest journey begins with one step,” says Rosemary. “Empowering the individual to make one small change is acceptable, it’s doable, and it’s easy. We hope that this empowerment will lead to enlightenment about environmental issues and further changes.

“It is rewarding to think that we’re responsible for saving all this energy, and concurrently we’re educating people about saving the environment,” adds Rosemary. “Project Porchlight is a brilliant inspiration.”