by Contributing writer, Aaron Bouwens

We have all seen too many news articles about young people who have made tragic choices about how to spend their time; stories of drinking and driving, drinking to near, or actual death. There are too many reports of young people who are dropping out of school, or who are suffering violence at the hands of other youth or adults. There continues to be stories about young people who become parents long before they are equipped to be parents. There is no secret that something needs to be done to help the young people of our community make smart and healthy choices.

When my family moved to Cortland in 2006, someone from my church introduced me to the Cortland Area Communities that Care. I found a group of concerned folks from all across our county, who were working to address the above issues in Cortland county. Over the years I became more involved, and now have the amazing privilege to be the chair of the coalition. When I mentioned to someone the amount of time I, and others, spend working with the coalition they asked a great question: Why am I a part of CACTC?

CACTC is not a group of people simply talking about the problems and the risks that our young people face, rather we work to celebrate when and where youth are making smart and healthy choices. Further the coalition works to educate our community about better choices for our community, as well as addressing the need to make changes to the environments our young people live in. I am involved with CACTC because I see it changing the lives of young people for the positive. I see parents, teachers, community leaders and business owners thinking about the ways they can positively impact the lives of young people.

I am part of CACTC because it is making an impact in our community, the lives of the young people, and in me. We all have limits on where we can invest our time, and I like you want to invest in activities which bear fruit - that is CACTC.

 Perhaps a short story will help. A concerned parent was asked by their teenage child if they could attend a party over the weekend. Not wanting to limit the fun had by their child, while not wanting their child to engage in drugs and alcohol which have been known to show up at teen parties, the parent was in a dilemma. Through the recommendation of a friend, the parent looked for the name of the parents hosting the party on the safe host list found on the website of Cortland Area Communities that Care.

 Safe hosts are people who have pledged to not serve alcohol to those who are underage. CACTC introduced the safe host, and maintains the database of persons on the website, www.cortlandareactc.org. One look showed the hosts of the party had signed the safe host pledge. The child went to the party and had a wonderful time while having a place to make smart and healthy choices. Go to the website to learn more about CACTC, and to find your opportunity to sign a safe host pledge.

 This is one of the many stories that tell why I am a part of CACTC. I invite you to join me in working with the coalition. You can call Cortland Area Communities that Care at (607) 299-4910.

 Rev. Aaron Bouwens is the pastor at Cortland United Methodist Church on Route 222, and current chair of the CACTC Board. He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by calling 607-756-5426.