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.
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Building Connections in McCook Matters June in McCook will be abuzz with fun events including a Youth Summit, hosted by McCook Community Foundation Fund. Our young people in Youth Change Reaction will host the first Nebraska Community Foundation gathering for youth, which will bring youth from across Nebraska to McCook. While still in the planning stages, our students identified that McCook is great because of connections . Our young people easily recognize how critical this factor is to people attraction, to people retention, and to improve their futures. What I miss most about my high school classroom is connections with students and colleagues. In education, I taught first, second, and sometimes third generations in families. My husband, Greg, and I are not McCook natives, but I eventually knew who was related to whom and usually where the parent(s) were employed. Going to the grocery store meant greetings from students and sometimes their family members. I officially retired from my high school classroom nine years ago in May. When you retire, the most-asked question becomes “What do you do with your time?” I try to maintain those connections and make new ones by belonging. For the past seven years, Sharon Bohling and I have volunteered to help plan and organize Bison Days for our high school students, which took place February 10 and 11. It would not happen without the financial support of McCook Community Foundation Fund, plus the McCook High School, local businesses, and the talented people of Southwest Nebraska who say “yes” when one of us reaches out to ask for the donation of time and talent. I would venture that they allow us to be on the Bison Days’ committee because we both have connections within our community—it’s certainly not our computer savvy. Connections can also solve a problem. Recently, I signed up to help a local family in crisis. My morning plan revolved around delivering my donation at a designated drop-off place. That didn’t work out. Fortunately, I still work with youth in various capacities, so I know that Keri Wilkinson works for Camy Bradley. Keri was an organizer for the family fundraiser, so I walked in Camy’s office hoping to find Keri. She was not there, so Camy and I visited briefly. She knew someone (who I did not know) who could possibly give me further direction. Only in a town with connections are you able to interrupt someone’s business, have her reach out for you using her connections , and offer to keep the donations for me until Keri’s return. Another great example of connecting can be found over coffee. Dee Friehe and I are longtime teacher friends. During a chance meeting at the grocery store a few weeks ago, she shared how she was there following a funeral service and was gathering supplies to deliver supper to the grieving family that night. She also updated me on her group of adults who meet for coffee on Thursdays at Ember’s, which varies from 8-28 depending on the day. She recognized the need for adults moving to McCook or folks just wanting to get out to make connections . Dee’s husband, Mark, also hosts his own group of men who are new(er) to McCook. She regaled me with stories of their Christmas party and other special gatherings. Wanting to call McCook your home is solidified by building connections . Ronda Graff has written about McCook Connects which matches a McCook person with someone new to the community of similar interests. I earned my McCook Connects’ T-shirt welcoming a young family with children. We have since spent many hot summer days sitting on bleachers together cheering on our 4-H horse kids while they show their horses. Warning: I connected them with a “free” new-to-them horse. Be careful connecting with me or you’ll probably own a horse. You do not have to be retired to connect in this community. Volunteering is a surefire way to meet people. McCook has many civic groups looking for new faces. Attend a church here; we have many welcoming congregations. Go to ball games or school concerts, attend concerts in the park, learn a new skill through the college, show up at a Third Thursday event or invite the neighbors for a BBQ. Take your youngsters to story hour or Move and Groove at the library. Go watch an event at the Kiplinger Arena. You can even take it a step further: Make a friend or call a friend and invite him/her to go with you. It is human connection that keeps us healthy and happy. If McCook Community Foundation Fund can help you connect in some meaningful way, please reach out for advice or support. *** While Pam Wolford may be retired, she is just as busy serving on the McCook Community Foundation Fund committee and started a new Learn and Return Scholarship with MCFF, while stepping up to grandparent whenever the call comes in.
