Earlier this year, my husband and I had the privilege of buying a building on Norris Avenue. If I had a dollar for every time someone asked, “What are you going to do with the building?” I would have enough money to renovate the site or at least put on a new coat of paint.

While we are still determining what is the best fit for the community, we didn’t want the building to sit empty or unused.

So while the building at 416 Norris is not perfect - heck, we’re not even done demolishing - the site will be used tonight for a student art show led by the McCook Arts Council (MAC). The show is part of McCook’s “An Evening of Arts” for Big Give McCook, which will showcase just a few of the nonprofits involved in the one day of giving with a focus on arts and culture.

Along with family and friends of the student artists, the public is invited to stop by and see for themselves how creative and artistic our young people are. The student art show will be open from 5-9 p.m. today (and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday). 

As an added bonus, MAC will be providing appetizers and drinks as the public views the art pieces. And the site will be an in-person giving station and power hour from 6-7 p.m. for Big Give McCook.

Am I worried about inviting people into an unfinished building? Not at all. All of the nicks and dings in the walls add character. 

In fact, not all of the plaster has been removed as we exposed more of the brick walls - and we’ll likely leave it like that because it shows the history of the building. The kitchen sink in the back of the building has a constant drip that will be fixed, but at least we’re assured that we have water in the facility. And the light in the restroom? Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn’t. Regardless, it will be an adventure until the site is finished. 

Like most things in life, if we waited until everything was perfect, we’d never do anything. Instead, we need to take the leap and do things now.

And today - Big Give McCook 2021 - is a great example of just doing things now, rather than waiting for the perfect time.

Now in its sixth year, most people have at least heard of the one-day giving event. More than 30 nonprofit organizations benefit from donations given from midnight to midnight as part of Big Give McCook. 

But you may be saying to yourself, “This isn’t a great time for me to make a donation,” “Times are tough.” “We barely have enough money to support ourselves, much less others.”

Very rarely is there a perfect time for anything and it doesn’t take much to make a difference.

When Big Give began in 2015, organizers considered calling it Give Big McCook. But that was not what the day was about. Yes, large donations are accepted, appreciated and needed. 

Instead, the Community Chest volunteers wanted to create an opportunity where everyone could get involved, where everyone could feel like a philanthropist for the day, where everyone could make an impact. Because every donation matters. Every dollar helps these organizations. Every donor makes a difference.

And it’s not just money that you can give big. This is also an opportunity to give of your time and talent.

The Big Give McCook website, www.biggivemccook.org, lists information about each organization, including what they do, the projects they are working on, and how to contact them. Consider visiting the website just to find out more about the organizations to see what fits your passion. There isn’t an organization out there which wouldn’t take more volunteers, which doesn’t need more advocates, which couldn’t use more support. 

Before anyone says that this isn’t the perfect time to give of their treasure, to give of their time or to give of their talent, consider this final thought.

Exercising on a regular basis can be tedious and arduous. We know working out is good for us, but there are some days that you just don’t want to go to the gym. But we drag ourselves out to the track for a run or to the pool for a swim. And when it is over, rarely - if ever - does someone regret doing that workout. In fact, we almost always feel better afterward.

The same holds true for giving a donation. While it may seem arduous to give a donation sometimes, we rarely regret giving to something that matters. In fact, we almost always feel better afterward - sometimes even better than the recipient. 

So consider giving a donation today as part of Big Give McCook, where each of us can do our part to make McCook an even better place to call home.