While the Nebraska Arts Council’s annual conference remained virtual this year, I was invited to speak on partnerships and collaborations...a topic which is not only important but vital to a thriving community.
As I prepared for the speaking engagement last week, I reflected on the collaborations and connections I have been part of over the three decades since I returned to my hometown of McCook.
Over the years, I have shifted from working primarily with private individuals and businesses - a natural link as the owner of the bakery - to interactions with foundations and non-profit organizations in McCook, within Nebraska and across the country.
I used those recent experiences to prepare for the conference, focusing on four points:
- Get involved
- Stay curious
- Dream and dream big
- Find ways to say, “yes!”
1. Get Involved
The first step to make things happen is to get involved. The involvement can range from joining committees and boards, volunteering at events, or coaching little league baseball. But it can also be as simple as just “showing up” at events to support others in our community and to have some fun.
For those who just don’t know where to start or how to get involved, find something you are interested in. Then contact someone in that organization or connect with the event to learn more about the organization and how you can be helpful. A conversation over a cup of coffee is a great way to begin.
Being involved in our community has helped me gain experience, knowledge, and wisdom. Perhaps, most importantly, I have built trust and relationships with people and organizations. Through the McCook Community Foundation Fund and Nebraska Community Foundation, I have learned that “Change occurs along the lines of relationship and at the speed of trust.”
2. Be Curious
I’ve chosen a life where my curiosity opens a lot of doors to experiences. Experiences help me with perspective and to see what is possible. Experiences help me understand opportunities and risks. Experiences help me find others who will collaborate with me on projects.
My curiosity has led to experiences that have fostered friendships, collaborations and dreams and a better way to live in rural Nebraska
3. Dream and Dream Big
What I’ve found is that there are not enough dreamers. Why? When did we lose our ability to dream? What should our community look like? I want to dream about our future and the future of our grandchildren. It’s our home so let’s make it the way we dream it to be.
Yes, there are many challenges in our world, but it is also full of abundance.
In McCook, we have some huge possibilities. To realize them, we need to dream big, we need to jump at the opportunities which are available, and we need to work together to make them happen!
4. Find ways to say, “Yes!”
“NO” is the easy button and to put it bluntly....easy is generally lame.
At first, the solutions are not always obvious and may be illusive. But by working to find a way to say “yes” - perhaps through unlikely or unusual partnerships - some of the biggest and best dreams for our community will come to fruition.
When I am faced with roadblocks and negative possibilities to a situation, I turn my focus to “how can we make this work?” While this takes effort, it pays off tremendously.
Finally, I try to surround myself with “yes” people. Not people who agree with me all the time, but rather people who work hard to find solutions to make stackable wins in our community. A great example is Kyle Dellevoet, pastor at McCook Christian Church, who has taken the initiative on projects from covid-response programs to the Freedom Festival. These people work hard to find ways to say, “yes” and to work with others on events both church and non-church related. There is so much value in partnering and collaborating. As the old African proverb says: “Go alone, go fast. Go with others, go far.”
Let’s be curious and let’s dream big. Let’s get involved and let’s work together. Let’s say ”yes” to making our home the place our kids and grandkids want to call home.
As a member of the McCook Community Foundation Fund, Matt Sehnert looks forward to working with more individuals and organizations to make McCook an even better place to call home.
McCook's last hometown bakery closed this past week, leaving a void not just for donuts but for connections.
Many organizations and businesses in McCook offer the opportunity to recycle, reuse and repair items that may just end up in the trash.
Organizer for Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival and former librarian named Oct 2025 volunteer of the month.
McCook's Third Thursdays were created to get businesses and organizations involved and designed to create life-long memories for the community.
Long-time community advocate Barb Ostrum received the Sept 2025 McCook Volunteer of the Month award.
We need to celebrate our young people while they are here and encourage them to return.
While some like myself appreciate a rainy day, others dread them for a variety of reasons. We need to be empathetic as interact with others.
MCFF Fall Grant Deadline is Oct. 1. Complete list of former recipients on MCFF website
With so much going, it is time for a “This, That and the Other Thing” column, where we will cover several topics, not very deeply but hopefully with a sense of humor as we clean up and prepare for a busy week in McCook. *** McCook again made state and national news this week for ice. This time, it was in the form of hail that pounded the community for hours upon hours. Conversations this week begin with “where were you….?” or “how many windows did you lose?” And while they may be legitimate and are offering their services, it is like vultures with all the roofing repair and dent removal businesses which have descended upon McCook following the storm. As city officials noted, do your due diligence with any company doing repairs for you and follow the old adage, which is old and still around because it’s true: If something seems to be too good to be true, it probably is. And one last note on the storm, we need to be careful what we ask for. As storm after storm approaches McCook and then splits in two to go around the town, we finally got one to roll right over us. The storm liked McCook so much it slowed down and just there. I was in Lincoln during the storm and trying to determine when I would drive home. I thought the weather app had frozen or the radar was broken because every time I looked, the storm was still sitting over McCook, doing its damage. I guess we can be thankful the next time a storm seemingly just goes around us. *** We are in the thick of McCook’s Heritage Days celebration. Congratulations to all the Heritage Days Royalty, which was announced at the MNB Bank Mixer this week. A special shout-out to Bill Donze, better known as Mr. Bill and his wife, Kathy, who were honored as royalty for their impact in McCook. As many know, Mr. Bill is fighting cancer and the prognosis isn’t good. The chances of him selling snow-cones and candy out of his van next summer near the McCook Aquatic Center are not good. One judge of his impact was the response to my column about Mr. Bill a few months ago. The post was shared thousands of times, viewed nearly 70,000 times with just as many comments by people sharing their fond memories of Mr. Bill. So when you see Mr. Bill riding down Norris in the convertible this weekend in the Heritage Days parade, send extra prayers and well-wishes to the man who has brought so much joy to so many kids - and adults too - over the years. *** Continuing on the Heritage Days theme, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the McCook Rotary Club is tossing all egos and formality out the window this weekend. As the president of the McCook Rotary Club, I invite everyone to at least watch, if not participate, in the Rotary’s first inflatable costume relay race on Saturday as part of the festivities in Norris Park. These are those giant, blow-up costumes you usually see around Halloween. The first costumes were usually T-Rexes but now there is everything imaginable available as a design. With the idea for the race originally conceived by Melanie Goodenberger, she has purchased everything from corn on the cob to a cowboy riding a chicken. This is a fund-raiser for the Rotary Club with a cost of just $20 for a team of four to participate in the relay race. But it is also a chance to giggle, perhaps make a fool of yourself and just have fun. Come to the park Saturday afternoon for the Wiener Dog races and stay for the Rotary Relay races. While the dogs will already be close to the ground, the relay race participants will likely just end up on the ground. *** With so much going on in McCook this week, I debated whether there should be another activity the next week but the response has already been great for the Lied’s Arts Across Nebraska’s next production in McCook. Hosted by the McCook Creative District, the Omaha Street Percussion ensemble will perform at the Fox Theater on Wednesday, Sept. 24. There is a matinee showing at 10:30 a.m. but I will be up-front…we are testing the capacity of the Fox with every seat already claimed with students. If that is the only show you can make, please come and we’ll find you a seat but it may be those up in the rafters. Otherwise, please plan to attend the 7 p.m. show on Sept. 24. And even better, there is no cost thanks to the Kimmel Foundation and the Friends of the Lied. This is a busy week and a busy weekend but this is a great opportunity to sit back and enjoy a fun, entertaining evening of live music.
Most likely, we aren't going to be good at something at the start. But that shouldn't stop us from trying.
