Sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch, National Night Out (NNO) [1] is an annual crime-prevention event that takes place in thousands of communities across the United States. This year’s NNO took place on August 3, as groups of people in all 50 states gathered for a night of community building by promoting neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships.

Project Porchlight joined a number of NNO events across New Jersey--in Clifton, Hillside, Madison, Morristown, Woodcliff Lake, and Matawan—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) [2].

More than 1,600 CFL bulbs were distributed at those events, 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 [3], and the campaign is made possible thanks to funding by the state Board of Public Utilities (BPU) [4] and the NJCEP [5]. Project Porchlight also provided CFL bulbs for the Bradley Beach National Night Out; a total of 143 were distributed there by a group of dedicated volunteers.

“It was wonderful that Project Porchlight came out for our event,” says Paul Camella, Council President of Woodcliff Lakes. “Project Porchlight is a great idea. It is a very painless way to help save energy. You replace one bulb with another one, and you’re saving money and helping the environment, all at the same time. Our residents were very pleased and a large number of them picked up the sample CFL bulb and were very interested in obtaining more information.”

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.

Clifton Crime Prevention officer Jim Flanagan, organizer of the Clifton NNO, was thrilled to have Project Porchlight participate. “Project Porchlight was key to our event,” says Officer Flanagan. “NNO is a crime-prevention event, and Project Porchlight tied in so well with the theme. There may be someone in some parts of city who can’t afford to keep their porch light on. Now if they were given a CFL bulb, they would be able to afford to illuminate that area, and most of us in law enforcement agree that an illuminated area equals less crime.”

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.

“The way I look at it, a byproduct of the security issue is the energy savings,” says Officer Flanagan. “If you’re using less energy, that’s reducing the amount of electricity we need in your town, which follows all the way to the generator, which doesn’t have to produce that much wattage. If we can decrease that, it’s a benefit to everyone.

“Project Porchlight is absolutely awesome. It is one of the most true grassroots projects that we have in the state,” adds Officer Flanagan. “Project Porchlight is giving people something very practical and useful for security reasons. It’s unbelievable. It’s absolutely invaluable. It’s awesome!”