New Year's Resolution to Welcome Newcomers

The Omaha World-Herald reported on Jan. 5th that Nebraska’s level of ‘brain drain’ outmigration is now one of the worst in the nation, based upon the percentage of the population, and is continuing down a long-term unfavorable trend.

At both the state and local level, it is getting ever more challenging to attract and retain workers. And that competition is not going to ease anytime soon due to significant demographic challenges.

But we can’t just throw in the towel. Instead, it is time to roll up our sleeves and figure out solutions - creative, innovative, long-lasting ideas to address the issues.

For starters, we, as a community, must work together to take advantages of our community’s strengths and make our community an even better place to call home. While this effort will need to be comprehensive and have many parts, one of the key pieces is making our community more welcoming, something each of us can contribute to.

But how do we make our community more welcoming? And who can we be welcoming to?

We may think everyone we see around town has been here for many years. However, we underestimate the numbers of new people who arrive in our community every year.

Right before Christmas, the U.S. Census Bureau released the State-to-County Migration Flows for the five-year period of 2017-2021. Based on their records, Red Willow County had 797 people move here from another county, state, or country; and another 668 people changed residences within the county.

Of the people who moved here during that time, 526 came from other counties in Nebraska, 85 from Kansas, 45 from Oklahoma, 36 from both Colorado and Missouri, with other states making up the remaining 43. An additional 26 moved here from another country.

That is roughly a new person moving to our county every other day. How many of these new people have you met? How well do each of us do at welcoming them into our social circles? What are we doing to help them feel welcome here?

Consider who made you feel welcomed when you were new to a community, whether it was starting at a new school, moving away from home from college, or starting a new job in a brand-new town. What made you feel like you belonged? Who reached out to you to make you feel welcomed? How did the community welcome you? Use those experiences to welcome others to our community.

If we want to make our community a place where young people and families want to live, let’s start with ourselves to create a community we want to belong to and place where we feel welcome. And then we take the next step and help others feel like they belong and that they are welcomed.

As it is the season of reflection and New Year’s resolutions, consider reaching out to someone who is new to our community, whether it is at your workplace, in your neighborhood, or at your church. Welcoming gestures, something as simple as taking them out for coffee or inviting them to an exercise class, can go a long way in making our community a more welcoming place for people new to our community.

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Sean Wolfe is the newest member of the McCook Community Foundation Fund Advisory Committee, as well as the Chief Financial Officer at Community Hospital in McCook, and brings a passion for not only numbers and finances but also people and the community.

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Jan. 2026 Volunteer of the Month Devoted to Church and Community

By Ronda Graff • January 22, 2026

To kick off the new year, Jo Beebe has been selected as the January 2026 McCook Volunteer of the month. While many people might know Jo for her years at the Sports Shoppe, she can be found giving hours of her time to the community, especially at St. Patrick Church. Whether during the weekly Mass or for a funeral or wedding, Jo shares her beautiful voice from the choir loft, as well as leading the choir members. Jo, along with her husband Harold, also has served as the St. Pat’s GALA host couple in the past and continues to help with set-up and cleanup of the annual event. Jo is also active with the Fall Festival, the Rosary Rally and the Wild Game Feed in Curtis every year. She attends every the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults class and helps students prepare for confirmation. And since retiring from the Sports Shoppe, she is active in the Altar Society, and volunteers at the Bargain Bazaar thrift store. According to her nomination, “The way Jo gives of her time and talents to our parish and community is a reflection of her faith,” and the community and the church are better because of her generosity. The McCook Philanthropy Council selects the monthly recipient for the McCook Volunteer of the Month award as part of the McCook Community Foundation Fund’s McCook Volunteer program. If there is a volunteer in the community who should be recognized, please contact the McCook Chamber of Commerce at 308.340.3200 or visit McCook Volunteers on the MCFF 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. Please have information about the nominee along with where and how they volunteer in the community.