Blog Posts

Illuminate Change

8/29/2024

Unite to Light, the Santa Barbara-based non-profit, continues its mission to shine a light in the darkest corners of the globe, and in our community! Just when you thought Santa Barbara couldn’t get any brighter, Unite to Light the Night, the organization's flagship fundraising event, is back for a third year, ready to outshine itself. Guests will experience Breathing Space, where your breath becomes one with the planet, by Jonathan Smith, Alan Macy, and Tai Rodrig. Carlos Grasso’s COLORSPACE uses simple changes in light to upend your perception of reality, while Louise Gerber's Colored Shadows will make you rethink the power of a simple shadow. Mark your calendars for October 18th and 19th, 2024 for this two-day event

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Commercial Energy Sustainability

8/1/2024

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In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, sustainability has transitioned from a buzzword to a critical imperative. Companies are increasingly recognizing the importance of reducing energy use, not only to cut costs but also to align with global efforts to combat climate change. As businesses strive to minimize their environmental footprint, a comprehensive approach that includes smart procurement practices, energy efficiency improvements, renewable energy generation, and thoughtful carbon offsetting becomes essential.

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Lighting the Way: How Solar Lamps are Transforming Healthcare in the Central African Republic

7/25/2024

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Sometimes a country is so far away, and their problems so big, it can seem impossible for us to help, but Unite to Light, in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is proving that every person and every dollar matters. Unite to Light used their annual fundraising art festival, Unite to Light the Night, to send 2,000 solar Luke Lights to the UNFPA in the Central African Republic (CAR). Every $10 donated at the event put a solar light in the hands of a midwife or a community healthcare worker. These little lights are transforming lives for health care workers and their patients. Unite to Light is honored to work with the UNFPA and their partners in CAR, and grateful to our supporters for funding lights to where they are desperately needed.

Midwife on duty at the Mboko Landja Health Center using the Luke Light. Photo Credit: UNFPA

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Unite to Light and Backpacks for the Street Partner to Empower New York City's Homeless Population with Solar Chargers

7/19/2024

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Gabriel is a double amputee living on the streets. With little options for charging his phone, a solar Charger is a lifeline. Photo Credit: Backpacks for the Street.

Unite to Light, dedicated to providing solar lights and chargers to people living without electricity worldwide, is proud to announce a partnership with Backpacks for the Street (BFTS), a New York City-based nonprofit that supportive services to the city's homeless population. As part of this collaboration, Unite to Light has donated 50 solar powered Chandler Chargers to BFTS, a small step towards addressing the critical need for reliable power among New York City's unsheltered community.

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Luke Light Gains Global Recognition with VeraSol Certification

7/11/2024

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Santa Barbara, CA - We are proud to announce that our innovative Luke Light has earned the esteemed VeraSol certification. For 13 years, Unite to Light has been dedicated to distributing solar lights globally, and this certification marks a significant milestone in their mission to provide sustainable, clean energy solutions.

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Turn the Page Uganda: A Successful Delivery

5/22/2024

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An educator from Lira, Uganda.

The trek from California to Uganda is certainly not easy, as Turn the Page Uganda volunteer Vicky Harbison has come to learn. Navigating the ins and outs of international travel is difficult enough on its own, let alone with an additional 80 pounds of solar lights at her side. On her way through Ugandan customs, she was stopped for her suspicious luggage and lack of formal paperwork approving it. This is it, she thought; she had made it all this way just to be stopped right before the finish line. Yet, 139 lights is better than none, right? Noticing the curiosity of the airport employee, she offered her one of the lights. The employee eased up a bit, and after almost 24 hours of travel time, Vicky, and 139 of the 140 lights, made it.

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2024 Gift of Light Partner Program: National Recipients

4/17/2024

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We are excited to announce our national Gift of Light Partner Program recipients for 2024! These organizations have made substantial contributions to the wellbeing of their communities and share our understanding of the importance of safe, effective light and power. As recipients, these partners donate to their target communities in need, helping us expand our reach and get in touch with communities that need light and power most. This year, these communities include students and teachers, the unhoused, recovering addicts, and vulnerable women and youth across the country. In this post, we will introduce the nine national recipients out of fifteen total for the year. You can learn more about our international partner here.

Irina, a team member with the Harm Reduction Therapy Center, is bringing our Chandler Chargers, food, and other much needed items to her clients.

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2024 Gift of Light Partner Program: International Recipients

4/17/2024

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An educator in Lira, Uganda receives her solar Luke Light from Turn the Page Uganda.

We are pleased to introduce the six international partner organizations receiving Luke Lights and Chandler Chargers this year through our Gift of Light Partner Program! Each of these meaningful organizations shares our commitment to creating positive change in their communities through solar light and power, and we look forward to seeing the good that arises from these collaborations. As recipients, these partners donate to their target communities in need, helping us expand our reach and get in touch with communities that need light and power the most. This year, these communities include marginalized female support groups, immigrant aid, and underfunded schools across Africa and South America. In this post, we will introduce the six international recipients out of fifteen total for the year, highlighting some of the monumental initiatives we can’t wait to commence. Funds for these projects were raised through grants, partnerships with Rotary Clubs, and people like YOU. For every Light and Charger we sell, we donate one to someone in need through our Buy One, Give One program.

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Launching the Leapfrog Alliance

4/2/2024

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March 27, 2024 marked the launch of the Leapfrog Alliance, a new non-profit coalition calling for stronger incentives to increase corporate investment in clean energy access in unelectrified and underserved communities globally.
Clean energy investments must at least triple by 2030 to over USD $4 trillion annually to keep global warming within the 1.5°C pathway. Corporate clean energy procurement serves as a critical lever for accelerating and scaling power sector decarbonization. Climate mitigation and adaptation investments have historically overlooked the world’s least electrified communities, perpetuating limited access to electricity and the risk of fossil energy system lock-in. For example, only 2% of the $3 trillion invested globally in clean energy in recent years went to communities in Africa even though 75% of the world’s population without electricity access live on the continent.

Photo Credit: Dr. Matthias Ripp

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Shining a Light on Loneliness for Homeless Individuals

3/19/2024

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Photo Credit: Backpacks for the Streets

In the labyrinth of urban landscapes, amidst the shadows of towering buildings and bustling streets, lies a silent crisis that often goes unnoticed: loneliness. Much like the warning labels on cigarette packets, loneliness is a health hazard, declared a public health epidemic by U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy in May of 2023. Defined as the "discrepancy between actual and desired social relationships," loneliness not only affects mental well-being but also has physical health implications - elevating risks of heart disease, infections, and depression. Now, imagine navigating the complexities of loneliness without the comfort of a stable home or reliable access to electricity. For over half a million people in the United States living unsheltered, loneliness isn't just an emotional burden—it's a stark reality that compounds the challenges they face daily.

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