Standout Volunteers

Paresh Trivedi (pictured here, left) , a resident of Randolph, New Jersey, emigrated to the United States 17 years ago from Gujarat, India, in search of a better life.

It is not extraordinary that Paresh has indeed found a better life--millions of immigrants have shared that experience. What’s remarkable about Paresh is how much he has, in turn, given back to his community here.

Eric J. Fuchs-Stengel lives in Mahwah, New Jersey, but he’s not spending much time at home this summer.

Eric, 18, is serving as a summer intern with the Rockland County AmeriCorps community service program

Anne Purcaro (pictured here, right) first learned about Project Porchlight’s campaign to distribute millions of energy-efficient bulbs across New Jersey back in May, when a complimentary compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb was left on the doorknob of her home in Parsippany, New Jersey.

When Wendy Ford (pictured here) first moved into the home she shares with her husband in Eastampton, New Jersey, the yard was just a plot of land with a house on it.

Then she started digging.

Wendy is an avid gardener, and over the years, her garden became something of a neighborhood attraction

For some college students, a good part of the four years they spend at college might be devoted to beer and hanging out. Justin Freedman (pictured here, right), a 21-year-old senior at The College of New Jersey, is not one of those students.

Barbara Vanderbeck (pictured here), a resident of Norwood, New Jersey, currently serves on Norwood’s Environmental Commission as well as its fledging Green Team, which is working to attain Sustainable Jersey certification for the borough

Thelma Miller (pictured here, left) was nine years old when her family first began worshiping at New Mickle Baptist Church (NMBC) in Camden, New Jersey. That was approximately 50 years ago, and NMBC is still an important part of her life. Now 63, Thelma retired from the Philadelphia public school system in 2003, and she currently serves as the church’s Coordinator of Community Outreach.

Kathy Dallman first met Project Porchlight Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator Suzy Sherbine back in October, when they were both working at a Shop for a Cause event at Macy’s in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Suzy told Kathy all about Project Porchlight’s campaign to distribute energy-efficient compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs across the state, and Kathy was impressed.