Project Porchlight Blog

Project Porchight’s Lawrence Blitz on August 3 in Lawrence, New Jersey, was a real community event.

A group of 20 volunteers—families with children as well as individuals—gathered at the Liberty Green Clubhouse for training before fanning out throughout the township. The volunteers educated 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 total of 557 CFL bulbs were distributed that day, 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.

Tahirih Smith, who serves as Outreach Coordinator for Sustainable Lawrence and was one of the organizers of the Blitz, was excited about bringing Project Porchlight to town. “I love the idea that changing one light bulb makes a big difference if we all do it together,” she says. “The Blitz also serves as a catalyst for people in the community to get to know each other. They can come out and get to know their neighbors. So the Blitz makes this a more sustainable and nicer neighborhood to be in.”

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. 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. “The natural resources we have are not unlimited, so we need to be responsible in the ways that we use them,” says Tahirih. “I think we should do as many of these distributions as we can.”

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. “Becoming sustainable is something we can accomplish one step at a time,” says Tahirih. “We all want to do what we can. Changing a light bulb--or two bulbs or 20 bulbs--might be all we can do first. And then that empowers us to make smarter, more environmentally friendly choices for ourselves and for the future.”