Project Porchlight Blog

When Kevin Sluka (pictured here) first heard about Project Porchlight’s campaign to distribute thousands of energy-efficient light bulbs throughout the state of New Jersey, he loved the idea. He immediately set to work to bring Project Porchlight to Somerville, New Jersey, where he serves as the borough’s Business Administrator.

But Kevin had some reservations about whether Project Porchlight could work in Somerville. “I thought it might be difficult to distribute the light bulbs because of the character of the municipality, which is a mix of rental units and multi-family units, as well as commercial properties,” he says.

Sometimes, being wrong can be wonderful: The distribution was a terrific success!

“The distribution went extremely well,” Kevin says proudly. “We had a strong commitment from of the civic groups, including the Knights of Columbus and the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, and so we had a good participation of volunteers that were able to break up into sections of the town and distribute the light bulbs.”

A total of 766 compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs were distributed, 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 New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program (NJCEP).

Kevin was particularly pleased by the participation of the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. “It seemed like they knew a little more then the rest of us,” he says. “They’re definitely more attuned to energy savings, energy efficiency, and green technology. I guess they’re being schooled on it all the time. It seems like these kids have a good knowledge of the world.”

During the Blitz, the volunteers’ knowledge about energy efficiency was something they shared with their neighbors, empowering them to believe that they can make a difference. “The way that these bulbs are being distributed is really important,” says Kevin. “They are not just being given out. People are being educated and becoming aware of why they should use these bulbs. Through this effort, the whole idea of continuing to switch to energy-efficient light bulbs appears to be catching on. People may not run out and change every bulb in their house immediately, but as light bulbs burn out, they would replace it with a bulb that’s in the framework of conserving energy.”

As the borough’s Business Administrator, Kevin knows all about the ways that conserving energy translates into saving money. “I work in a public environment, which means I have to save every dime I can save,” he says. “These are public tax dollars, so we’re always looking at ways of saving energy.”

When it comes to protecting our environment, simple actions matter. Even something as simple as changing a light bulb is important. “If I do my part, and everybody else does their part, it’s going make a large difference,” says Kevin, who switched all of the light bulbs in his house to CFL bulbs almost two years ago. “Our children learn from us, and they can take it to the next level. And over a period of time, they’re not simple changes--they’re big, huge changes.”