​Introducing Our New Executive Director & Honoring Heroes Through Project Blue Light

Hello, friends and supporters of Safe Communities,

My name is Becky, and I’m honored to introduce myself as the new Executive Director of Safe Communities.

​When I stepped into this role in late May, I did so with deep gratitude for the trust placed in me and a clear vision for the work ahead. Our mission has always been to foster safety, healing, and hope for survivors of abuse, and I believe that mission extends to those who protect and serve our communities every day.

With that in mind, I’m proud to announce Safe Communities’ participation in Project Blue Light, a national initiative that honors the sacrifices of police officers — those who have fallen in the line of duty as well as those who continue to serve every day. Law enforcement officers play an essential role in the protection of survivors, and while the work is often unseen, it is never unnoticed.

This initiative holds special meaning for me. One of my earliest memories is sitting in the Dairy Queen parking lot as a little girl, waiting for my big brother to meet us during his break from a 4-11pm shift. He’d pull up in his squad car, and with the flick of a switch, he’d turn the spotlight around to “talk” to me. I remember thinking it was magic. I was so proud when my brother visited my second grade class to talk about how police officers keep kids safe. I also remember seeing the words “protect and serve” on the side of his car and feeling the weight of those words, even as a child. 

Years later, I would come to understand that protecting and serving is more than a phrase — it’s a sacrifice. I watched as my brother, a police captain in Horsham Township, Montgomery County, PA, faced the long, cold nights, responded to unimaginable crises, and carried the weight of violence and tragedy that most people never have to see. I understood the quiet fear that families feel as their loved ones put on the badge, never knowing if this shift might be their last.

My brother went on to create a Project Blue Light ceremony in Horsham, which started as a local event but grew into a countywide memorial recognizing fallen officers. It’s in that same spirit that Safe Communities will launch our own version of Project Blue Light this December.
 
From December 16th to December 20th, we will honor the courage, dedication, and humanity of police officers — those who have fallen, those who continue to serve, and those who have retired after a lifetime of service. Each weeknight, by 6:00 PM, we will light up a dedicated page on our website with words of gratitude, inspiration, and hope for law enforcement officers across Lancaster County, across Pennsylvania, and across the entire nation. 
 
This is an invitation for all of you to join us. Visit our Project Blue Light page on the Safe Communities website to read the reflections, offer your own words of thanks, or send prayers and positive energy to officers and their families. While this project pays tribute to those lost in the line of duty, it also honors the daily, unseen acts of courage officers display in protecting survivors of abuse.

Additionally, we invite you to join us by lighting a blue bulb in your home or in your window this holiday season as a simple, visible way to show support for officers in your community.

I know that the work of law enforcement is often unseen and unspoken, but it is deeply felt. The officers who respond to survivors, who work with our community, and who stand watch in moments of crisis deserve to be seen and thanked. Their work is not easy, and it is essential.

My hope is that this small beginning will grow into something larger, and that our community will one day hold its own Project Blue Light ceremony, just as my brother did for Horsham and Montgomery County. But for now, this is our way of saying, “We see you. We thank you.”
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To every officer — fallen, living, retired, and still on the beat — we honor you. Your service matters, your courage matters, and your sacrifices do not go unnoticed.

Thank you for welcoming me as the new Executive Director of Safe Communities. I’m here to listen, to serve, and to lead with empathy. Please join us in shining a light this December.

Together, let’s remember, honor, and uplift those who protect us.
 
With gratitude and hope,
Becky
Executive Director, Safe Communities