McCook Community Foundation Fund Name is part of a nearly $1.2 million statewide effort to bridge the learning gap in the face of Covid-19.
Using funds from MCFF’s Covid-19 Response Account along with matching grants from the Nebraska Community Foundation, McCook Public Schools and St. Patrick Elementary School will receive more than $40,000 in funds.
McCook Public Schools has received a $34,000 grant to hire staff to assist students who are at a greater disadvantage because of the pandemic. St. Pat’s received $7,170 to purchase additional technology for the elementary school.
With these additional funds, MPS will add at least one staff member to help those students who have previously struggled in school and are at the biggest disadvantage when things change.
Grant funds will be used to hire staff who would be responsible for reaching out to those students who have been identified as being at a higher risk of falling further behind academically, according to McCook High School principal Jeff Gross.
“The staff would be responsible for ensuring that these students have everything they need to be successful, from coordinating additional educational assistance to simply checking in with the student,” Gross said. “Specifically, this position would work closely with the parents of the affect students, either in person or via Zoom technology.“
This staff would also work closely with the teachers of the at-risk students to determine how to best help the affected students. If staff time and finances allow, the staff would also address mental health issues as part of the education plan.
At St. Pat’s, grant funds will be used to purchase additional iPads, supplementing the current supply so that students in grades 5-8 have greater access.
St. Patrick Principal Becky Redl said that providing more iPads will allow students and teachers to work on learning the skills necessary to become successful in the virtual education world.
Funding for the Bridging the Learning Gap program was available exclusively to affiliated funds of Nebraska Community Foundation (NCF) including MCFF, which provided the 1:1 local match.
McCook’s matching funds came from MCFF’s COVID 19 Response Account as well as a $10,000 anonymous donation toward the account.
NCF’s Bridging the Learning Gap initiative was capitalized by an anonymous donor and the Alice DeVoe Donor-Advised Fund, an affiliated fund of NCF.
Grants were approved and allocated by a committee of six volunteer NCF affiliated fund leaders who have educational expertise, including teachers, administrators and school board members. All applications received funding. Importantly, learning gap needs were identified locally by school leadership, as were proposed solutions.
“We are deeply proud of the way the NCF network of affiliated funds came together to meet this need,” said Jeff Yost, president and CEO of Nebraska Community Foundation. “We are so grateful to the visionary donors who are supporting this important work and to the local leaders and educators who are rolling up their sleeves to ensure our kids receive the educational experiences they deserve, even in the midst of a global crisis.”
These grants are the second round of funds to address issues related to education during the pandemic.
In May, McCook Public Schools received $40,000 as part of NCF’s Bridging the Homework Gap with $20,000 from MCFF’s COVID account. The grant was used to purchase additional Chromebooks in the McCook Junior High and Central Elementary with the goal of reaching 1-to-1 technology to students. Funds were also available to purchase internet “hotspots,” for those students who don’t have reliable internet service at home.
St. Patrick’s also received $4,000 in May to expand the amount of technology available at the elementary school.
Since the creation of MCFF’s COVID-19 account in March, more than $120,000 in grants have been distributed into the community. When combined with the $37,600 from the NCF matching grants, nearly $160,000 has been provided in the community to help students, address housing issues and provide economic development.
A complete list of grants from MCFF’s COVID account is available online at mccookfoundation.org.
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.
