COVID Cash Certificates available Mon., April 20 at Norris Alley Ofc in Keystone
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.
Grant funds will be used for a bonus when purchasing certificates - COVID Cash. The COVID Cash certificates will then be spent at local businesses, more than 100 as of today and counting.
Essentially, this is how the program will work:
A person 18 or older will spend a minimum of $100 with a maximum of $500. In return, they will receive a $20 bonus for every $100 spent - $120. The COVID Cash certificates will be issued in $10 increments which can then be used at dozens and dozens of local businesses just like cash. A list of businesses will be provided when the certificates are purchased.
Certificates can be purchased with credit card or cash. No checks will be accepted.
The first date to purchase the COVID Cash certificates will be April 20, and must be spent by Sept. 1, 2020.
The certificates will be available through a newly-created office at the Keystone Business Center on Norris Avenue. Thanks to the Norris Institute which rents the space, the public will stop by the Norris Alley office on the first floor of the Keystone, entering through the lobby doors and going to the right, allowing people to stay 6-feet apart and out of the elements in case of bad weather.
Volunteers from McCook Christian Church will have the Norris Alley office 11-1 and 4-7 Monday through Friday.
The McCook Stimulus Spending Program was created to benefit both individuals and businesses in McCook and Southwest Nebraska, encouraging consumers to shop locally.
By shopping locally, consumers are making a huge difference in creating local jobs and local wealth.
And with the federal stimulus checks arriving soon, consumers have the potential to make a huge impact. If the public takes advantage of the $10,000 in bonus funds combined with $50,000 from individuals, $60,000 in spending will be put into the local economy over the next three to four months thanks to the COVID Cash certificates.
"COVID Cash will aid in stimulating the area economy while offering a financial benefit for both shoppers and local businesses,” MCFF Chairperson Cindy Huff said. “The McCook Community Foundation Fund endeavors to aid both area consumers and area businesses through the creation of this program."
McCook Christian Church Pastor Kyle Dellevoet said, “We care deeply for McCook and the surrounding and knew we wanted to be involved in this effort because it not only considered the needs of our residents but also our local businesses.”
MCFF has approved more than $62,000 in funds from the COVID-19 Response Account including grants to McCook Public Schools and the Community Action Partnership.
For more information about the new COVID-19 Response Account, please visit mccookfoundation.org. 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.
