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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Getting Outside of National Night Out Nearly everyone can tell you their last interaction with the police or the fire department. And unfortunately because of the nature of the organizations, it is usually not at a positive moment. My last contact with the McCook Police Department was just a few weeks ago, when I was pulled over on B Street in McCook…on my scooter. I pulled into the wrong lane when making a turn, which is illegal. But in my defense, it was an act of self-defense to just get through the intersection of East B and Sixth streets alive. Since the drivers haven’t seen a stop-light since Holdrege, cars and semis regularly run the traffic light, which makes me a wee bit vulnerable as I pass through the lanes. I got off with a warning but the true punishment were the texts throughout the day from everyone who saw me with my scooter and the police officer. Since most exchanges with police and fire are not on good terms, National Night Out was created to have an evening of positive interactions, to remind the public that the police and fire departments are just normal people, doing their jobs, looking out for their friends and neighbors, trying to create a safe community for everyone. National Night Out is designed to simply join your friends and neighbors for an evening of fellowship and fun. It is an opportunity to meet local law enforcement, creating safer and more caring neighborhoods. McCook is joining thousands of other communities across the country in hosting National Night Out, which typically takes place on the first Tuesday of August every year. Planned for Tuesday, Aug. 5 from 5:30-7 p.m. in and around Norris Park in McCook, the night includes a bike parade, a walk, awards for bike decorating, desserts and more. In other words, it is simply a block party to hang out. Numerous organizations have come together to make the evening possible. CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and the McCook Rotary Club are hosting a bike parade that starts at 6 p.m. Linda Maiden with State Farm, a bicycle helmet advocate, will also be in Norris Park. The streets around Norris Park will be shut down to provide a safe area to ride, as well as more space to cruise around the block. Participants are encouraged to decorate their bike, scooter, roller skates or anything on wheels. This could mean streamers, pompom balls, markers or even the old classic - playing cards in the spokes of your wheels. Some supplies will be available at the park for use if you show up and realize you are the most underdressed person at the party. If your bike has an inch of dust on it, this is a great time to get it out, wipe it off and get it rolling. And if your bike needs minimal fixes like a flat tire or a brake adjustment, bike tools will be on hand along with myself and my hubbie, who know just enough about bike repair to be dangerous but did manage a 300-plus mile bike ride last week so we must be doing something right. But let’s say you don’t have a bike or biking isn’t your cup of tea? Then you are still encouraged to join the “Walk in the Park,” hosted by Community Hospital. Designed to encourage a healthy lifestyle, walkers will stroll around the park and the neighborhood at whatever pace you feel like with strollers and dogs on leashes welcomed. And perhaps most importantly, there will be a chance to meet members of the McCook Police and Fire Department, getting to see police cars and fire engines close-up in a non-emergency manner, always the best way to see them. And if the weather cooperates, there may be a fire hose, water and spraying involved. If you have been at the Culbertson Fourth of July parade, you know it is up to you to stay out of the line of fire if you want to remain dry. We all have excuses for why we don’t want to go out at night, especially after a long day at work. But National Night Out in McCook on Aug. 5 is a great reason to get out your bicycle and lace up your walking shoes. Hang out with your friends, get to know your neighbors and meet your first responders. That is what makes our communities just a little bit better.
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