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.
It takes work and effort to be social but its vital to our community.
McCook's young people are shaping their hometown through a various projects.
MCFF Summer Hometown Intern Natalie Roberts shares how her perspective on McCook changed over the past few months.
With the McCook Aquatic Center closing soon for the season, another tradition - Mr. Bill and his 25-cent snow-cones - will likely be coming to an end soon too.
McCook among five Nebraska communities in Revitalize and Thrive Program
Getting Outside of National Night Out Nearly everyone can tell you their last interaction with the police or the fire department. And unfortunately because of the nature of the organizations, it is usually not at a positive moment. My last contact with the McCook Police Department was just a few weeks ago, when I was pulled over on B Street in McCook…on my scooter. I pulled into the wrong lane when making a turn, which is illegal. But in my defense, it was an act of self-defense to just get through the intersection of East B and Sixth streets alive. Since the drivers haven’t seen a stop-light since Holdrege, cars and semis regularly run the traffic light, which makes me a wee bit vulnerable as I pass through the lanes. I got off with a warning but the true punishment were the texts throughout the day from everyone who saw me with my scooter and the police officer. Since most exchanges with police and fire are not on good terms, National Night Out was created to have an evening of positive interactions, to remind the public that the police and fire departments are just normal people, doing their jobs, looking out for their friends and neighbors, trying to create a safe community for everyone. National Night Out is designed to simply join your friends and neighbors for an evening of fellowship and fun. It is an opportunity to meet local law enforcement, creating safer and more caring neighborhoods. McCook is joining thousands of other communities across the country in hosting National Night Out, which typically takes place on the first Tuesday of August every year. Planned for Tuesday, Aug. 5 from 5:30-7 p.m. in and around Norris Park in McCook, the night includes a bike parade, a walk, awards for bike decorating, desserts and more. In other words, it is simply a block party to hang out. Numerous organizations have come together to make the evening possible. CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and the McCook Rotary Club are hosting a bike parade that starts at 6 p.m. Linda Maiden with State Farm, a bicycle helmet advocate, will also be in Norris Park. The streets around Norris Park will be shut down to provide a safe area to ride, as well as more space to cruise around the block. Participants are encouraged to decorate their bike, scooter, roller skates or anything on wheels. This could mean streamers, pompom balls, markers or even the old classic - playing cards in the spokes of your wheels. Some supplies will be available at the park for use if you show up and realize you are the most underdressed person at the party. If your bike has an inch of dust on it, this is a great time to get it out, wipe it off and get it rolling. And if your bike needs minimal fixes like a flat tire or a brake adjustment, bike tools will be on hand along with myself and my hubbie, who know just enough about bike repair to be dangerous but did manage a 300-plus mile bike ride last week so we must be doing something right. But let’s say you don’t have a bike or biking isn’t your cup of tea? Then you are still encouraged to join the “Walk in the Park,” hosted by Community Hospital. Designed to encourage a healthy lifestyle, walkers will stroll around the park and the neighborhood at whatever pace you feel like with strollers and dogs on leashes welcomed. And perhaps most importantly, there will be a chance to meet members of the McCook Police and Fire Department, getting to see police cars and fire engines close-up in a non-emergency manner, always the best way to see them. And if the weather cooperates, there may be a fire hose, water and spraying involved. If you have been at the Culbertson Fourth of July parade, you know it is up to you to stay out of the line of fire if you want to remain dry. We all have excuses for why we don’t want to go out at night, especially after a long day at work. But National Night Out in McCook on Aug. 5 is a great reason to get out your bicycle and lace up your walking shoes. Hang out with your friends, get to know your neighbors and meet your first responders. That is what makes our communities just a little bit better.
Judy McCune named July 2025 McCook volunteer of the month
Joyce Anderson named June 2025 McCook Volunteer of the Month
Sharing our resources, such as books and bikes and even benches, help our community better for everyone.
For many years, McCook did just enough to get by but now there is a flurry of activity - with much more possible - which we should be celebrating.
