| COVID-19 Response Account Grants | Organization | Amount | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| COVID Cash Certificates | McCook Christian Church | $10,000 | People will buy COVID Cash certificates with $20 bonus for every $100 spent up to $500 |
| MHS At-Risk Student Licensing | McCook High School | $3,000 | Licensing fees for at-risk students to study at home |
| Technology Grant for JH/Central Elem | McCook JH/Central Elem | $8,550 | Purchase 30 Chromebooks |
| McCook Housing and Utilities | Community Action Partnership | $20,000 | Help with rent/mortgage payments as well as City of McCook utility payments |
| School Nutrition Equipment | McCook Public Schools | $17,515 | Provide food service equipment with increased food program use |
| Masks/Filtration System | McCook Fire Department | $1,232 | purchase a filtration system that fits on to the self-contained breathing apparatus mask |
| Bridging the Homework Gap | McCook Public Schools | $20,000 | Purchase Chromebooks and provide hotspots |
| Fill the iPad Cart | St. Patrick Elementary | $4,000 | Purchase iPads for student use |
| Theater Production Costs | Southwest Nebraska Community Theater Association | $3,000 | Cover part of costs for Hunchback production shutting down |
| Bridging the Learning Gap | McCook Public Schools | $34,000 ($20,000 from MCFF/$17,600 NCF) | Staff person to connect with at-risk families |
| Bridging the Learning Gap | St. Patrick Elementary | $7,170 | Purchase additional iPads |
COVID Response Account in the News
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SWNCTA Receives Grant to Offset Lost Production Costs
As the casting began in McCook last November for the Hunchback of Notre Dame musical, no one could have predicted that the production would eventually be cut short because of a world-wide pandemic.
But on March 15, Southwest Nebraska Community Theater Association made the difficult decision to cancel the production after just two performances.
Months of rehearsals suddenly become useless. Hundreds of community members didn’t get to see all those hours of hard work in action. And the local theater association suddenly found itself with an uncertain future because of debt from production costs.
With the future of SWNCTA at risk, the McCook Community Foundation Fund has granted $3,000 from its’ COVID-19 Response Account to help offset costs from lost revenue because performances were cancelled. now when that public showing of the recording will happen but still holds out hope to provide a free showing for the community. “This would be great thank you from SWNCTA for all the years the public has supported our organization,” Weedin said.
But he stressed that they will wait until they can show the musical to as many people as possible in a safe and welcoming atmosphere.
“It was a great show and a great performance,” Weedin said. “And we want as many people to see it as possible, because it truly is a great musical with a dedicated and talented ensemble of performers and crew.”
MCFF continues to accept grant applications for the COVID-19 Response Account, which are available online at mccookfoundation.org. MCFF is an affiliated fund of the Nebraska Community Foundation.
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Bridging the Homework Gap
McCOOK, Neb. -- McCook Public Schools will be receiving $40,000 to address technological needs and hopefully bridge the homework gap, which has become every more apparent during this COVID crisis.
The homework gap refers to the difficulty students experience completing homework remotely.
McCook Community Foundation Fund has been awarded a $20,000 by an anonymous donor and the Alice DeVoe Donor-Advised Fund, an affiliated fund of Nebraska Community Foundation, to help McCook Public Schools narrow the growing homework gap as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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MCFF funds filters for firefighters, first responders
McCOOK, Neb. — Keeping first responders in the City of McCook safe from exposure to the COVID-19 virus is vital. That’s why a recent grant from McCook Community Foundation Fund to the city fire department will go toward additional protective equipment.
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Funding technology, nutrition, at-risk students
McCOOK, Neb. -- Everyone’s world has been turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic but maybe none so more than our young people.
Students no longer have a regular school schedule and are not able to see their friends on a daily basis. They may not have access to regular meals. And they may have difficulty accessing the internet, now a necessity to complete their homework.
But McCook schools have been working to alleviate some of these issues with funding from McCook Community Foundation Fund’s new COVID-19 Response Account.
Over the past month, MCFF has provided three grants to McCook Public Schools to help with specific issues during this crisis.
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Local funding for housing, utility assistance
McCOOK, Neb. -- As the Coronavirus pandemic began, the Red Willow County Ministerial Association knew some members of the community would have a hard time meeting the basic need of housing, so a new local program was created.
A housing/utility assistance program is being coordinated through the McCook office of the Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska.
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McCook Stimulus Spending Program Planned
By RONDA GRAFF
MCFF
Every dollar counts. Every dollar which is spent locally. Every dollar which flows into a local business. Every dollar which a local consumer can use to buy groceries or a pair of shoes.
All those dollars add up and will make the difference in how a community continues through this crisis and then rebounds afterward.
McCook has a new stimulus spending program to help those dollars not only stay here but also stretch a bit further and benefit local businesses and individuals.
The McCook Community Foundation Fund provided a $10,000 grant to McCook Christian Church to create McCook’s Stimulus Spending Program. The funds are from MCFF’s new COVID-19 Response Account, created to specifically address issue related to the pandemic.
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Response Acct. Grows by 100KList Item 3
McCOOK, Neb. - Thanks to the generosity of two local organizations, an additional $100,000 in funds have been pledged toward a new account established to help respond to local issues connected with the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Wednesday, the MNB Financial Services Inc. Board of Directors voted to donate $50,000 to the COVID-19 Response Account, which was established this week by the McCook Community Foundation Fund.
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COVID-19 Response Acct. EstablishedList Item 4
McCOOK, Neb. -- In light of the coronavirus pandemic, the McCook Community Foundation Fund has established the COVID-19 Response Account in an effort to raise funds and make grants to local governmental and 501(c)(3) entities working to address the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the community, region, and vulnerable community members.
- To schools to assist with technology and other needs related to remote learning
- To schools or food banks providing assistance to families whose children rely on school programs for meals
- To 501(c)(3) public charities that are addressing the immediate needs of economically vulnerable populations caused by lost work, closures, and cancellations related to COVID-19
- To 501(c)(3) public charities that are addressing the immediate needs of vulnerable elderly populations who may be at high risk due to COVID-19
- To 501(c)(3) or governmental healthcare organizations (including hospitals and public health districts) that are addressing increased demand for medical information and support, including mental health services
- To 501(c)(3) public charities or governmental entities that are addressing fear and confusion about the outbreak among the community’s most vulnerable residents, including those with limited English language proficiency
- To 501(c)(3) public charities to focus on community resilience as recovery from the outbreak proceeds
- To 501(c)(3) public charities to help them maintain operations as other funding sources may decline
