It’s not often that 150 people show up to a PTSA forum. It’s also not often that a weeknight meeting lasts nearly three hours.

But show up we did. And in so doing, we made a strong and collective statement about what matters to us.

The forum on teen drug and alcohol use last Wednesday night was informative — listeners learned some of the frightening things that can happen when a kid gets swept up into the criminal justice system — as well as emotional. All told, three mothers talked, telling stories of utter heartbreak, in some cases remarkable transformations and a tenacious, determined love for their substance-abusing child.

They also spoke of the isolation they felt and the judgement they sensed from friends and relatives. As one mother noted, when her daughter was unraveling because of drug use and their lives were falling apart, no one brought them a casserole.

And then there were the two teens who spoke — one so new to the world of recovery that he acknowledged, to a standing ovation, that he’d been sober a mere 10 days. They, too, told stories that were riveting, heartfelt and at times painful. And no doubt many in the audience teared up when one of the teens, Ezra Blake, turned to his mother across the room and said “thanks” for confronting him about her concerns. It was that confrontation, he said, that got him started down the road towards recovery.

So will this make a difference? While 150 is a considerable weeknight turnout, is it really enough? The answer to both questions is “no.” One forum won’t change the youth culture on Vashon, and 150 determined parents won’t be able to significantly dent the troubling statistics that brought many of them to the forum in the first place. But it is a remarkable beginning. And a beginning it is.

Organizers of last week’s forum are part of a growing contingent of parents, youth advocates and educators who are working together to help shape a new kind of youth culture on the Island. It’s an effort that’s taking many forms.

Yvonne Zick, a firecracker of a parent educator, is leading evening classes — one called “Guiding Good Choices” and another called “Staying Connected to Your Teens.” Funded by way of a Vashon Youth & Family Services grant, these classes are not only powerful and packed full of information; they’re also free.

Claudia Gross Shader, Carl Winge, Jr., and others are in the process of creating a Healthy Community Network on Vashon, which will enable the community to collect meaningful data on, among other things, youth-related issues and focus resources where they’re needed most.

And there are wonderful, smaller efforts as well. For the past several months, for instance, Margaret Hoeffel and Martin Koenig have organized a swing dance class for kids, delightful gatherings that have brought young people together for healthy Friday-night fun.

Many of us have heard the oft-quoted words of Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

And so it is happening on Vashon today: A group of thoughtful, committed citizens, not simply institutions or agencies, is working hard to make a difference. It’s a powerful and inspiring start.