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.
Technology
With nearly all learning taking place online right now, the need for technology is greater than ever. And while the McCook High School students all have Chromebooks -- similar to a laptop -- individually assigned, the McCook Junior High and Central Elementary students either used the devices during school or checked the laptops out on an as-needed basis.
While some families have their own devices at home, many do not and that is where a grant from MCFF came into play. A $8,500 MCFF grant will help purchase 30 Chromebooks to be used by students at home.
“With E-Learning abruptly changing our instructional practices, our equity gap among our kids seemed to be magnified,” said Joel Bednar, Central Principal/Curriculum Director, McCook Public Schools. “We realized the need for more Chromebooks to distribute for E-Learning and to utilize within our classrooms when schools resumes.”
Bednar added, “We want all students to have the same access and learning opportunities. Using these devices will allow kids to see/hear their teachers and have the organized social interactions that is clearly needed during E-Learning days.”
Nutrition
While school is generally thought of a place for education, it also serves as a place where some kids may get their only complete meal of the day. And the demand is being met by the school’s nutrition program in unprecedented numbers.
According to McCook Public School Business Manger John Brazell, the McCook Junior High kitchen was designed to serve around 400 Jr/Sr high school students on a regular school day. “Currently, we are serving more than 700 breakfasts and 700 lunches per day in our drive up grab-n-go service,” Brazil said.
Preparing the increased number of meals has stretched the capacity of the kitchen and especially the storage of all of the prepared meals.
The McCook Community Foundation Fund has provided $17,500 in funding to purchase carts, which will provide additional storage and will allow the staff to roll them out to the delivery site at the junior high. The carts are designed to be used for either hot or cold foods and will maintain the temperature of the meals for longer.
“This will be extremely important as the daily temperatures rise as we move into spring and summer.,” Brazell. “And at this point, our plan is to continue the meal program through the end of June.”
Education for At-Risk Students
While all students are figuring out how to learn from home, alternative instruction methods are especially important for many of the school’s at-risk families, including those in the school’s credit-recovery program. These students are most at-risk of dropping out or failing to complete school due to a variety of reasons and need specialized help to graduate from McCook High School.
To help continue this program from the safety of the student’s own home, “site licenses” were purchased with the help of $3,000 grant from MCFF.
“On behalf of McCook Senior High School, I would like to thank the McCook Community Foundation Fund for their generosity during these challenging times,” McCook High School Principal Jeff Gross said. “We have several students taking advantage of earning credits via online classes. We are also anticipating the increased need for this service as we continue in these uncertain times in K-12 education.”
“It is a blessing, knowing that we have such great community support,” Gross said. “Thanks for MCFF’s leadership and dedication to our school system…”WE ARE ONE.”
The McCook Community Foundation Fund continues to accept grant applications as well as donations for the newly-established COVID-19 Response Account. More information is available online at mccookfoundation.org.
The regular spring grant deadline is Friday, May 1. Since 2003, more than $400,000 in grants have been provided to organizations and individuals, benefitting McCook and Southwest Nebraska. A complete list of grants is available on the MCFF website. MCFF is an affiliated fund of the Nebraska Community Foundation.
Linda Graff named McCook Volunteer of the Month for December 2025
By focusing on what is important, we can make an even better impact in our communities.
After a 10-year hiatus, the McCook Holiday Home Tours return focusing on downtown upstairs apartments.
While many people think volunteering is for older residents, serving your community has no age restrictions. And young people can regularly be found lending a hand or offering their services in their hometown. The November 2025 McCook Volunteer of the Month recognizes one of many young people are working to make their community an even better place to call home: Grady Riemenschneider. Currently a senior at McCook High School, Grady volunteers with a wide variety of organizations and groups. As a four-year member of the McCook Community Foundation Fund’s Youth Change Reaction, Grady serves as the ambassador for the youth group’s “Cars Under Stars,” the outdoor movie theater at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds. At nearly every showing, he can be found operating the projector and setting up the parking lot, as well as passing along his knowledge to the next ambassador. In McCook’s FFA program, Grady has held officer roles the past four years and is currently the chapter vice president, organized the chapter banquet in 2025 and coached for the conduct of chapter meetings. Along with serving as the president of the Driftwood Feeders 4-H Club, he assists with setup, tear down and fundraising for the dog show and helps fellow members train their dogs. Grady steps in to help and lead at local events, including Prairie Plains CASA’s Kick in’ It Up for CASA and the Cajun Broil; the Edward Jones Alzheimer’s Walk; operating sound boards for various groups; and Feed the Farmer. And he has served as a youth leader at McCook Christian Church for elementary youth since approximately 2018 as well as stepping up to ensure the ag program ran smoothly during a teacher’s maternity leave Upon request from his mother about some of Grady’s activities, Sharleen noted that he is the “Chief Household Operations Officer: first responder for Mom’s to-do list, go-to chauffeur and caretaker for his favorite sidekick (a.k.a. his nephew), and the family’s unofficial event planner who somehow keeps everyone together without a clipboard.” The McCook Philanthropy Council recognizes a volunteer every month who is doing good work in McCook and Red Willow County. If there is a volunteer in the community who should be recognized, please contact the McCook Chamber of Commerce at 308-345-3200 or visit McCook Volunteers on the McCook Community Foundation Fund’s 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 but please have information about the nominee along with where and how they volunteer in the community. The volunteer honoree is selected monthly by the McCook Philanthropy Council.
With the holiday's nearing, MCFF member and Mayor Linda Taylor reflects on the many things to be thankful in McCook.
The names of those people who have made a generational impact on McCook and Southwest Nebraska is a long list. Many of them are working day-in, day-out right now to make their mark on the community. And then there are those people who no longer call McCook home but still make an impact long after they are gone. Allen Strunk is one of those people. Allen passed away on Nov. 1 at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada but he never lost the love of his hometown. Born and raised in McCook, Allen was a member of an already well-known family, Harry and Arlene Strunk. The Strunks started and published the McCook Daily Gazette, with the motto, “Service is the rent we pay for the space we occupy in this world.” A saying that was so important that Harry had it etched at the top of his downtown newspaper office on Norris Avenue. That sense of service was passed along to Allen, who continued to serve his community as he took over leadership of the Gazette. I didn’t know Allen personally until he came back for visits years later. Even though my first job upon arriving in McCook was at the McCook Daily Gazette and Allen had turned over the publishing reins to Gene Morris many years prior, the Strunk legacy loomed large. He was instrumental in the building of the then-new YMCA, moving the facility from downtown to its current location next to the McCook High School. He was a key player in the new hospital, again moving from one location to a new expanded space. And McCook Community College benefitted his involvement in an expansion. Those projects continue to impact McCook today. And the support didn’t stop just because Allen retired from the Gazette and left McCook. There are programs the Strunks are involved in that benefit McCook and Southwest Nebraska. The Strunks continue to support Santa Claus Lane, which is overseen by the McCook Chamber of Commerce. And which after a few years of decline is seeing a resurgence of enthusiasm and nostalgia for the decorative holiday pieces lining Norris Avenue. Allen funds the annual McCook Area Outstanding Teacher award, which provides a financial prize to several teachers every year. And Allen recognized the work of the McCook Community Foundation Fund, providing a donation several years ago so that he could see its impact while he was still alive. This has led MCFF to consider how they will recognize and remember Allen for years to come. Because of his belief in service to his community, this could mean more recognition for the countless volunteers who keep our community thriving. It could be a day of community service, to see how many people can come together to make something happen. It could be a celebration for all the great things happening in our community. During Allen’s memorial service this past week in McCook, his step-daughter-in-law read the poem, “The Dash" by Linda Ellis, who published it in 1996. It reflects on the meaning of the dash between the birth and death dates on a tombstone. The dash is a reminder of everything that happens between the moment a person is born and the moment a person dies. The dash emphasizes the importance of how one lives their life during that time. The dash prompts a person to think about living, rather than worrying about dying. Ultimately, the dash is where all the good - and the bad - happens. And Allen Strunk made the most of his “dash,” both in his community and within his family. We can’t all run a newspaper. We likely aren’t going to etch our favorite saying into a building. But we all need to consider how we are paying the “rent for the space we occupy in this world.” And we can all make a difference in our hometowns, whether we currently live in them or even if we haven’t stepped foot on the main street in years.
Everyone feels a need to be needed and it is shown through the Big Give and Meal Kit Giveaways
SWNE Big Give reaches new heights thanks to enthusiasm of organizations, individuals and businesses
Food pantries are seeing an increased need, which means the community must step up with donations of food and time to help those who struggle to put food on the table.
