The deadline to spend the McCook COVID Cash certificates is quickly approaching. More than $12,000 in certificates remain to be redeemed by Tuesday, Sept. 1.
The McCook Stimulus Spending program - otherwise known as COVID Cash - was created by McCook Christian Church in April to provide a $20 bonus for every $100 in certificates purchased.
The program was funded with a $10,000 grant from McCook Community Foundation Fund’s COVID-19 Response Account. When the initial grant money was depleted in less than a week, MCFF quickly provided another $10,000, which extended the purchase of certificates another 2 weeks.
When all the COVID Cash certificates are redeemed, $120,000 in spending will have taken place - $100,000 to purchase the certificates and $20,000 in bonus funds. While a little more than $12,000 in COVID Cash still needs to be redeemed, more than a $100,000 has already been spent in the community as part of the program.
McCook Christian Church volunteers, including Jody Dellevoet, Jamie Mockry and Dan Miller, have continued to coordinate the program. This includes maintaining spreadsheets to track the certificates as well as issuing checks to the participating retailers where the certificates are spent.
For those who still have a couple COVID Cash certificates lying around, they can be spent at more than 100 local businesses throughout McCook. A complete list of participating businesses can be found on the COVID Cash Facebook page.
The grant funds were from MCFF’s COVID-19 Response Account, created specifically to address issues related to the pandemic. More than $120,000 in grants have been given through the special account with an additional $37,600 in matching funds from the Nebraska Community Foundation’s Bridging the Education Gap and Bridging the Learning Gap programs.
McCook Community Foundation Fund is an affiliated fund of the Nebraska Community Foundation.
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To kick off the new year, Jo Beebe has been selected as the January 2026 McCook Volunteer of the month. While many people might know Jo for her years at the Sports Shoppe, she can be found giving hours of her time to the community, especially at St. Patrick Church. Whether during the weekly Mass or for a funeral or wedding, Jo shares her beautiful voice from the choir loft, as well as leading the choir members. Jo, along with her husband Harold, also has served as the St. Pat’s GALA host couple in the past and continues to help with set-up and cleanup of the annual event. Jo is also active with the Fall Festival, the Rosary Rally and the Wild Game Feed in Curtis every year. She attends every the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults class and helps students prepare for confirmation. And since retiring from the Sports Shoppe, she is active in the Altar Society, and volunteers at the Bargain Bazaar thrift store. According to her nomination, “The way Jo gives of her time and talents to our parish and community is a reflection of her faith,” and the community and the church are better because of her generosity. The McCook Philanthropy Council selects the monthly recipient for the McCook Volunteer of the Month award as part of the McCook Community Foundation Fund’s McCook Volunteer program. If there is a volunteer in the community who should be recognized, please contact the McCook Chamber of Commerce at 308.340.3200 or visit McCook Volunteers on the MCFF website, mccookfoundation.org to complete a nomination form. The only requirement is that the nominee must be a resident of McCook or Red Willow County. Please have information about the nominee along with where and how they volunteer in the community.
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Make 2026 memorable by getting involved and making an impact in your community.
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