By RONDA GRAFF

MCFF

McCOOK - While it can be hard to categorize some of the non-profit organizations involved in the Southwest Nebraska Big Give, many of them have a specific focus on young and older community members. And all of them are seeking donations during the Big Give on Thursday, Nov. 7. 

In the second of four stories about the Big Give non-profits, the following groups have a fairly specific focus on both ends of the age groups.

With a priority for our senior citizens, the Cambridge Senior Center and Curtis Area Senior Center are both working to meets the needs of the elderly in their respective communities.

Highlighting the need for affordable and good childcare, the Cambridge Community Daycare Foundation has joined Big Give for the first time this year. Also joining for the first times the Cambridge School Foundation, to meet the needs of the Trojan students.

TeamMates, which connects young people with older mentors, has been part of the Big Give for several years. McCook, Cambridge and Maywood all have TeamMates chapters and are seeking donations to keep their programs growing. 

One of the most successful Big Give participants over the years has been St. Patrick Elementary School in McCook, which serves the area for preschool through eighth grade. 

Hoping to serve the young people of the community is the Discovery Center, otherwise known as Breakaway, which hopes to open up their physical in McCook in the near future. 

Well known in the community, the Boys Scouts of America-Mid-America Council and the McCook Legion Baseball Boosters are raising funds to support their individual entities, but both with a focus on helping young people reach their full potential.

And an organization which has been with the Big Give since its start in 2016 is the Family Resource Center, which helps meet the needs of youth and families throughout the area. 

While donors can give funds throughout the year, the Southwest Nebraska Big Give is impactful because of the generous sponsors, which provide matching dollars. Platinum and gold sponsors include Graff Charitable Foundation and MNB Bank, Community Hospital and First Interstate Bank. A complete list of sponsors will be available on the Big Give website, swnebiggive.org.

The Southwest Nebraska Big Give is coordinated by Community Chest, which is a sub-account of the McCook Community Foundation Fund, an affiliated fund of the Nebraska Community Foundation.