Earlier this summer, I lost a mentor and I lost a friend - my father, Walt Sehnert. In fact, I have lost a few mentors and friends over the past two years, which has led me to reflect the impact these people have had on both me and the community.

The loss of these community leaders has helped me focus on what we can learn from them to create a growing and thriving community. (The more personal life lessons will be part of my “Dad Book,” which is still in the works.)

Community leaders are successful because they show up, because they work with what is available, because they recognize the good things happening in their community. At the end of the day, they don’t lament what they don’t have; instead, they celebrate what they do have and build upon that. 

There is a term for this way of doing things: the concept is Asset Based Community Development (ABCD). 

The Nebraska Community Foundation is a firm believer in the ABCD concept, concentrating on a town’s assets, strengths, and potential for community development. This is smart and works very well. Looking back, I can see how my parents and friends were working within this concept, despite not knowing there was a name for what they were doing.

Reflecting on my parent’s lives and how they contributed to the community, Walt and Jean also had an “IBCI” mentality or an Interest Based Community Involvement. (Yes, it is a term I made up but feel free to steal it for your own use.)

Basically, my parents were involved wherever they had an interest or felt they could make an impact.

For my mother, this usually involved music, whether it was playing the organ at the church; playing the piano for high school, college and community programs; arranging dance performances; or being part of community music shows. If the event was connected to music, my mother was going to be there. 

She took her involvement with music so seriously that it flowed into other aspects of my childhood. As a young, aspiring athlete, I would get so annoyed when my mother would ask, “What time is your basketball rehearsal?”  

Exasperated, I would reply, “It’s practice. NOT Rehearsal!”

My father got involved with a variety of things where he had interest and what he thought important, including the Chamber of Commerce, YMCA, Kiwanis, Rotary, McCook Community College and the McCook Library to name just a few organizations he supported. Often this support was in the form of serving on a committee or the board of directors to help the organization. 

He also expanded his horizons by supporting my mother with her music projects and sharing his love of music and performing.  

After retiring from the bakery in 1990, my father tried something new, discovering a previously unknown talent as a writer, which developed into penning a weekly newspaper column and authoring four books.

Over the years, my parents had a variety of interests and got involved in the community because of them.

Another important lesson I learned from my parents was to simply join in. 

My parents got involved and supported many community events just by attending them. Growing up, our family went to everything from the community concert series to the county fair and even to a variety of church soup suppers.

One parishioner asked my father why our family was at the soup supper when we were not a member of that church. My father’s reply, “We enjoy the fellowship….and you make really good food.”

Years ago, my wife, Shelly, told me, “To help others and our community, you need to use the gifts that God has given you.”

My parents did not know they were practicing ABCD or IBCI. Instead, they just quietly taught us to be supportive of community events by attending when we can and to get involved in organizations and projects that we are interested in. Pretty simple lessons and a way of life that can really make a difference over the course of a lifetime.

I invite all of us to support our community by just showing up to events and by joining in a project or two where we have an interest.

Thanks mom and dad. I will work to carry on your Interest Based Community Involvement (IBCI) and pass on the tradition for generations to come.

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Matt Sehnert is vice chairman of the McCook Community Foundation Fund, former owner of Sehnert’s Bakery and - following in his dad’s footsteps - an avid supporter and advocate for the community.