Project Porchlight Blog

For as long as she can remember, Rita Weist (pictured here) has been passionate about three things: staying active, giving back to the community, and protecting the environment. “I think from the time I was a 10-year-old Girl Scout I had the impression that you’re supposed to help if you can,” says the Bellevue, WA resident.

It’s no surprise, then, that when Rita learned Project Porchlight was looking for volunteers to distribute free compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs throughout the area—and to help at Project Porchlight partner Puget Sound Energy’s Rock the Bulb campaign events—she was quick to sign on.

Since July, Rita has delivered more than 450 free CFL bulbs throughout Bellevue, including to grocery stores, medical centers, Boeing clubs and organizations, and the King County Master Gardeners. “I’m very busy with volunteering and other commitments,” she says. But she was determined to give out more energy-efficient light bulbs than the 50 she delivered door-to-door throughout her area. So, she says, “I gave (CFL bulbs) to everyone in the organizations where I‘m involved… I was getting them to people who might not otherwise have received them.”

Rita was particularly proud to be able to distribute CFL bulbs to the Boeing Retirees Ski Club, for which she serves as Program Chairman. The 83-year-old spent much of her life on the slopes and remains as devoted to the sport as ever. “I taught and trained ski patrolmen for eight years,” she says. “But I’ve been a patrolman for umpteen years, going back to the 1950s.”

Rita says she loves skiing because it combines two of her passions—staying active and protecting the environment. In her words, it’s an outdoor activity that “relies on your own steam.” But she also loves the fact that it allows her to spend time around people with good hearts who share a desire to give back to the community. “Every time you’d meet a skier, there was an immediate camaraderie because people who went skiing were always the same kind of people,” she says. “They were always outgoing, they were always pleasant.”

The former athlete, who turns 84 on November 5, has clearly found new ways of keeping that spirit of fellowship and support alive. She devotes her time and energy to reaching out to those around her, brightening their days with something as simple as a smile—or a free CFL bulb—and showing them how they can make a difference.

From all of us at One Change, we thank you and wish you a very Happy Birthday, Rita!

Washington state’s oldest local energy utility, Puget Sound Energy serves more than 1 million electric customers and nearly 750,000 natural gas customers in 11 counties. A subsidiary of Puget Energy, PSE meets the energy needs of its growing customer base through incremental, cost-effective energy conservation, procurement of sustainable energy resources, and far-sighted investment in the energy-delivery infrastructure. PSE employees are dedicated to providing great customer service and delivering energy that is safe, reliable, reasonably priced, and environmentally responsible. For more information, visit www.PSE.com.