Project Porchlight Blog

The wonderful thing about the annual Fun Day in Springfield, New Jersey, is that the main purpose of the event is simply for Springfield residents to get to know each other. “The town-wide picnic is an event for the community, and we hope to get everyone involved in the community to meet each other,” says Deputy Mayor Peter Sobotka, who organizes the event each year. “People need to meet their neighbors. In this society we live in, somehow we’ve lost that ability.”

This year’s event, the 11th annual Fun Day, was held on August 21 in Juliustown Park and featured “field day” activities, pony rides, the local police department’s K-9 unit, and free food for everyone. And that’s not all: Project Porchlight was on hand to educate folks 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 98 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 the NJCEP.

Deputy Mayor Sobotka was thrilled to have Project Porchlight come to town. “Anytime a new technology comes along, people are reluctant to grasp it,” he says. “Project Porchlight has introduced CFL bulbs to people who may have been reluctant to buy them. By giving them a sample to try, Project Porchlight is helping them reduce their consumption of electricity.”

CFL bulbs use up to 75 percent less energy than old-fashioned incandescent bulbs. Choosing CFL bulbs means lower costs, reduced demand for electricity, and, ultimately, less pollution.

When it comes to protecting our environment, simple actions really do matter! Even something as simple as changing a light bulb can make a difference. By connecting with state residents one at a time, Project Porchlight is empowering people of all backgrounds to make smart, energy-efficient choices that protect the environment.

““Project Porchlight helps people understand the need to be concerned about the environment, and it also helps people get started with that with the CFL bulbs,” says Deputy Mayor Sobotka. “Sometimes you need to see something and try it out to really grasp what it is. Project Porchlight is giving people a chance to see the difference—and that can have an impact. The individual acts may seem small, but combined together, they become gigantic.”