Have you seen or heard the tagline or mission statement for the Cortland Area Communities that Care Coalition (CACTC)? The tagline reads “Partnering for Smart Choices and Healthy Behaviors.”  The mission is to reduce the adolescent problem behaviors of substance abuse, teen pregnancy, delinquency, school dropout, and violence and their impact on the Cortland County community. How does this idea translate into the day to day life of our community? The annual school supply drive is an example of how the CACTC coalition partner organizations work together to address a community need or identified problem. Catholic Charities, the Cortland YWCA, CAPCO, all the school districts in Cortland County, numerous area businesses, many individual volunteers, and local donors all work on together to distribute the school supplies to students in our community.

The need for this project is based on the fact that many people in our area lack the financial resources to adequately provide all the school supplies their children need when they start school in the fall; unemployment is high and close to 19% of the children in Cortland County live in poverty.

We also know that youth who walk into school that first day with a new backpack and new school supplies often feel more confident and prepared; the playing field among kids is more level and their personal self esteem increases as a result. Further, we know that positive self esteem is a factor in keeping youth in school, ultimately impacting school dropout rates, which is part of the CACTC mission.

Several community organizations responded to this need over time. Catholic Charities has sponsored the “Back 2 School for Kids” school supply project serving about 250 youngsters in Cortland County during the back to school season for fourteen years. The YWCA initiated a similar service for the children in their Bridges to Kids program and CAPCO did the same for Head Start families.

Within the last few years, CAPCO also established Family Resource Centers in the McGraw and Marathon schools, providing an ideal access point for families in those districts for a variety of services and opportunities and added a school supply project there. In addition, Rural Services in Cincinnatus has provided school supplies to youth in their district for many years.

            The Coalition process entered the picture when Catholic Charities, the Cortland YWCA, CAPCO (all original CACTC members), and Rural Services got together to discuss their individual projects and decided to collaborate and coordinate in a way that reaches more families, prevents duplication of services,  and maximizes our resources to ultimately serve more children and youth.

Over the next few weeks, business partners will be involved, providing sites where people can drop off the supplies they want to donate.  Area drop off sites include Kmart, Kinney’s stores, Rite Aid stores, Walgreens, CFCU Community Credit Union, HSBC Bank, Alliance Banks, First Niagara Bank, TOPS/P&C stores, and Summit Federal Credit Union.

In addition, on Saturday, August 13th, volunteers will be collecting donated supplies outside Wal-Mart.

Many people support the project by making financial contributions to the participating organization of their choice. Various groups and businesses conduct their own “mini drives,” collecting supplies to donate to the larger effort. Many opportunities for involvement exist and all are welcomed.

The school supply project is a county wide success, in part due to the collaboration of the many partners involved, but also because of the generosity of all those who contribute. The Cortland Area Communities that Care Coalition is committed to supporting and advancing collaborative projects, such as “Back 2 School for Kids,” as part of its mission and is a platform where local organizations and individuals meet, discuss, and plan activities and strategies that promote a healthier community.

Anyone interested in learning more about the work of Catholic Charities or the Cortland Area Communities That Care Coalition, can contact Catholic Charities at 756-5992 or the CACTC Coalition at 299-4910.

Marie Walsh. She can also be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .