Light it up! Santa Barbara non-profit providing solar lights around the world has light celebration | KCLU

Oct 20, 2024

A Santa Barbara based non-profit has been helping to light up the world since 2010.

Unite to Light has distributed more than a quarter of a million small solar power lights to people in need around the world.

"It's hard to image life without electricity. There's 750 million people...that's one in ten people...living without electricity. And, in our connected and illuminated world, that's hard for us to imagine," said Megan Birney Rudert, who is is President, and CEO of Unite to Light.

She said the small solar powered lights have helped people hit by disaster, given kids light to study by at night, and even assisted midwives in remote areas of the world deliver babies.

They were invented at UC Santa Barbara.

"Our founder is a professor at UCSB. There was a visiting professor from Ghana. He essentially asked him to make a highly efficient, highly durable low cost solar light," said Rudert. "Dr. John Bowers, like a good engineer, said 'Yeah, I can do that.' Within a year, we had our first distribution with that professor in Ghana, and that's how Unite to Light was born."

The lamps are small. The base fits in the palm of your hand. There’s a solar panel on the base. It has a flexible gooseneck, and an LED lamp.

"It's relly simple. It's green. It's got a single solar panel...an LED, and a lithium-ion battery. It's really our workhorse," said Rudert.

Then, seeing another need, the team created a solar charging system for things like cell phones.

While most of the solar powered lamps are sent overseas, they are also being used to help with disasters here in the United States. Unite to Light teamed up with the Santa barbara-based relief groups Direct Relief and ShelterBox to get lamps and chargers to Hurricane Helene, and Hurricane Milton victims.

Unite to Light survives on donations, and also people taking advantage of a two for one offer. You can buy a lamp or charger, and a second is sent in your name to someone who needs one.

This weekend, Unite to Light is shining a light on itself, and some local artists who are using light in art. The events are called Unite to Light the Night.

There’s a major donor event called the Glow Gala Friday night.

On Saturday from 5-8 p.m. there's a free public art show called the Community Showcase, featuring light-centric works. There's food, activities for kids, and music.

Then at 8 p.m., there's a dance party called the Bright Bash. Ttickets are $40 in advance, and $45 day-off. It's being called a dance party with a purpose. Tickets include a drink, access to all the exhibits, and live DJs.

The three weekend Unite to Light events are all at the Community Arts Workshop, on Garden Street in downtown Santa Barbara.