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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With so much going, it is time for a “This, That and the Other Thing” column, where we will cover several topics, not very deeply but hopefully with a sense of humor as we clean up and prepare for a busy week in McCook. *** McCook again made state and national news this week for ice. This time, it was in the form of hail that pounded the community for hours upon hours. Conversations this week begin with “where were you….?” or “how many windows did you lose?” And while they may be legitimate and are offering their services, it is like vultures with all the roofing repair and dent removal businesses which have descended upon McCook following the storm. As city officials noted, do your due diligence with any company doing repairs for you and follow the old adage, which is old and still around because it’s true: If something seems to be too good to be true, it probably is. And one last note on the storm, we need to be careful what we ask for. As storm after storm approaches McCook and then splits in two to go around the town, we finally got one to roll right over us. The storm liked McCook so much it slowed down and just there. I was in Lincoln during the storm and trying to determine when I would drive home. I thought the weather app had frozen or the radar was broken because every time I looked, the storm was still sitting over McCook, doing its damage. I guess we can be thankful the next time a storm seemingly just goes around us. *** We are in the thick of McCook’s Heritage Days celebration. Congratulations to all the Heritage Days Royalty, which was announced at the MNB Bank Mixer this week. A special shout-out to Bill Donze, better known as Mr. Bill and his wife, Kathy, who were honored as royalty for their impact in McCook. As many know, Mr. Bill is fighting cancer and the prognosis isn’t good. The chances of him selling snow-cones and candy out of his van next summer near the McCook Aquatic Center are not good. One judge of his impact was the response to my column about Mr. Bill a few months ago. The post was shared thousands of times, viewed nearly 70,000 times with just as many comments by people sharing their fond memories of Mr. Bill. So when you see Mr. Bill riding down Norris in the convertible this weekend in the Heritage Days parade, send extra prayers and well-wishes to the man who has brought so much joy to so many kids - and adults too - over the years. *** Continuing on the Heritage Days theme, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the McCook Rotary Club is tossing all egos and formality out the window this weekend. As the president of the McCook Rotary Club, I invite everyone to at least watch, if not participate, in the Rotary’s first inflatable costume relay race on Saturday as part of the festivities in Norris Park. These are those giant, blow-up costumes you usually see around Halloween. The first costumes were usually T-Rexes but now there is everything imaginable available as a design. With the idea for the race originally conceived by Melanie Goodenberger, she has purchased everything from corn on the cob to a cowboy riding a chicken. This is a fund-raiser for the Rotary Club with a cost of just $20 for a team of four to participate in the relay race. But it is also a chance to giggle, perhaps make a fool of yourself and just have fun. Come to the park Saturday afternoon for the Wiener Dog races and stay for the Rotary Relay races. While the dogs will already be close to the ground, the relay race participants will likely just end up on the ground. *** With so much going on in McCook this week, I debated whether there should be another activity the next week but the response has already been great for the Lied’s Arts Across Nebraska’s next production in McCook. Hosted by the McCook Creative District, the Omaha Street Percussion ensemble will perform at the Fox Theater on Wednesday, Sept. 24. There is a matinee showing at 10:30 a.m. but I will be up-front…we are testing the capacity of the Fox with every seat already claimed with students. If that is the only show you can make, please come and we’ll find you a seat but it may be those up in the rafters. Otherwise, please plan to attend the 7 p.m. show on Sept. 24. And even better, there is no cost thanks to the Kimmel Foundation and the Friends of the Lied. This is a busy week and a busy weekend but this is a great opportunity to sit back and enjoy a fun, entertaining evening of live music.
Most likely, we aren't going to be good at something at the start. But that shouldn't stop us from trying.
